0/PURM 
and  other* 


lifornia 

Lonal 

lity 


rma  Kraft 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 
AND  OTHER  PLAYS 


The  drama  is  ever  more  potent 
than  the  printed  page,  and  the 
mind  of  the  child  is  never  more 
fired  with  religious  enthusiasm 
than  when  he  himself  seems  to 
be  taking  part  in  the  great  drama 
of  Judaism  which  has  come 
down  to  us  through  the  centuries. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

AND   OTHER   PLAYS 


A  SERIES  OF  ONE  ACT  PLAYS 

DESIGNED  FOR  JEWISH  RELIGIOUS  SCHOOLS 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 
1915 


COPYRIGHT,  1915,  BY 
THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  [Purim] 9 

A  MACCABEAN  CURE  fHanukkahl 55 

To  SAVE  His  COUNTRY  f  Pesah] 93 

AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  f  Shabuotl 133 

BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  So  [Closing  of  School  1 . .  163 


NOTE 

The  plays  occupy  from  twenty  to  thirty 
minutes  in  presentation,  and  are  designed  for 
children  from  the  ages  of  six  to  sixteen.  The 
stage  settings  are  accurately  described,  and  the 
directions  for  presentation  plainly  given.  The 
scenes  may  be  made  as  simple  or  as  elaborate  as 
desired,  since  the  plays  themselves  have  been 
written  with  the  idea  of  firing  the  imagination  of 
the  child.  The  costuming  may  be  left  to  the 
judgment  of  the  teacher. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

CHARACTERS 

MUTTER  SIEGEL,  a  busy  housewife. 

VATER  SIEGEL,  a  German  peddler. 

GRETCHEN,  their  oldest  daughter. 

HANS,  their  oldest  son. 

RUTH    I    , 

FANNY  ]their  V°under  children. 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK,  their  nearest  neighbor. 
MANUEL  Rico,  head  of  gypsy  band. 
Luis  Rico,  his  brother. 

ISABELLA^ 

c  ^Manuel  Rico's  daughters. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

TIME. — The  beginning  of  the  present  century. 

PLACE. — The  outskirts  of  a  small  village, 
Hatzfeld,  in  Southern  Germany. 

The  entire  action  of  the  play  occurs  on  the  eve 
of  Purini,  between  sunset  and  moonrise,  in 
the  small  farm-yard  of  the  Siegels,  a  Ger- 
man family  in  moderate  circumstances. 

To  the  right  of  the  stage  a  small  cottage  porch. 
In  front  of  the  porch  a  wooden  bench. 
Toward  the  left  a  tree  with  another  bench 
built  around  it.  Various  barn-yard  acces- 
sories, such  as  wheelbarrow,  etc.,  are  scat- 
tered about;  and  the  yard  is  filled  with 
chickens  and  geese. 

DISCOVERED  AT  RISE  OF  CURTAIK- 

GnETcirEN,  wearing  a  large  gingham  apron, 
is  feeding  the  chickens  and  geese.  FANNY 
and  RUTH  are  playing  near  her.  Through 
the  half-open  door  of  the  cottage  their 
mother  can  be  seen,  busy  in  the  kitchen. 


12  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

GRETCHEN 

[Throwing  feed  deftly.]  You  chickens,  don't 
you  ever  get  enough  to  eat  ?  You're  just  as  hun- 
gry holidays  as  any  other  day ! 

RUTH 

[Seriously,]  Do  you  think  they  know  it's  a 
holiday? 

FANNY 

Such  little  chickens,  how  can  they  know  any- 
thing? Gretchen,  what's  a  holiday  ? 

GRETCHEN 

[Resting  her  pan  on  her  knees.]  A  holiday 
is  a  time  when  you  get  everything  you  want  to 
eat,  and  can  wear  your  best  dress. 

RUTH 
Then  why  don't  we  have  more  of  them  ? 

GRETCHEN 

[A  bit  puzzled.]  Because  we  can  only  have 
them,  I  think,  when  the  Bible  says  so.  Oh !  but 
I  guess  you  are  too  young  to  understand.  [She 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  13 

begim  to  throw  feed  again.]     I'll  tell  you  about 
this  one  when  you  grow  up, 

RUTH 

[Pettishly.]  Grow  up!  Grow  up !  Every- 
body says  that  whenever  you  want  to  know  any- 
thing ! 

GRETCHEN 

[Thoughtfully.]  Well,  perhaps  I  ought  to 
tell  you  right  now.  You  see,  to-morrow  is 
Purim,  and  we  remember  it,  because  long  ago 
the  good  Queen  Esther  saved  her  people,  the 
Jews — that's  what  we  are — from  being  killed. 
You  see,  before  she  was  married,  she  was  just 
a  poor  Jewish  girl,  and  her  kind  uncle  Mordecai 
had  raised  her.  One  day  the  king  saw  her,  and 
fell  in  love  with  her,  and  made  her  queen  of  all 
Persia.  The  king  had  a  wicked  minister,  who 
wanted  everybody  to  bow  clown  before  him. 
Mordecai  wouldn't  bow  down  before  any  human 
being.  Haman  was  very  angry,  and  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  destroy  all  of  Mordecai's  people,  the 
Jews.  He  didn't  know  that  Queen  Esther  was  a 
Jewess  too.  All  he  told  the  king  was  that  he  was 
punishing  some  of  his  unfaithful  subjects. 
Mordecai  found  it  all  out,  just  in  time,  told 


14  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

Queen  Esther  about  it,  and  she  begged  the  king, 
her  husband,  to  prevent  this  awful  crime.  The 
king  was  so  angry  with  Haman  that  he  ordered 
him  to  be  hanged  in  the  very  place  he  had 
planned  for  Mordecai.  Don't  you  think  we 
should  be  happy,  dears,  that  the  Jews  were 
saved,  because  if  they  hadn't  been,  we  shouldn't 
be  here  feeding  chickens  this  very  minute ! 

FANNY 

[Frightened.  ]  Oh !  do  you  think  anybody 
will  ever  chop  off  our  heads,  now  ? 

GRETCHEN 

I  don't  think  so.  That's  why  we  ought  to  be 
happy.  If  only  Vater  didn't  have  to  work  so 
hard. 

RUTH 
I  want  to  help  too !    I  want  to  help  too ! 

[She  rushes  to  GRETCHEN,  and  upsets 
the  pan  with  the  seed. 

GRETCHEN 

[Annoyed.^  There,  now  see  what  you  have 
done !  When  I'm  in  such  a  hurry  to  help  with 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  15 

supper!  And  to-night  we  nrnst  be  done  extra 
early.  [As  RUTH  begins  to  cry.~\  Don't  cry, 
dear.  That  isn't  helping  sister. 

[RUTH  tries  to  stop,  and  both  bend  over 
chickens  and  seed,  until  HANS  comes 
in  with  school-books  and  with  a  basket 
of  provisions  hung  over  his  arm. 

HANS 

Hello,  there,  Gret —  and  you  babies.  Gee! 
it's  good  to  be  home.  I'm  awfully  tired.  [Flings 
himself  down  on  the  bench.^  Mutter,  Mutter, 
I've  done  all  your  errands.  Now  are  you  glad 
I'm  back  ? 

MUTTER 

[Coming  to  kitchen  door,  wiping  her  hands  on 
apron.]  I'm  always  glad  and  proud  of  my  big 
boy.  I  was  worried  for  fear  you'd  play  too  late 
after  school  and  would  forget  all  about  the 
Megillah ! 

HANS 

[Crossly.']  That  means  Schul !  Oh  !  Mutter, 
do  I  have  to  go  ?  I'm  so  tired. 


16  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

MUTTER 

Why,  of  course,  Liebchen,  you're  a  big  boy 
now.  Do  you  want  to  stay  at  home  with  the 
babies  ? 

HANS 

[Still  growling.']  Ach,  no  !  But  nobody  said 
they  were  going  to  Schul,  none  of  the  boys,  I 
mean.  And  you  know  I  always  fall  asleep. 

MUTTER 

A  big  boy  like  you  ?  You  ought  to  be  ashamed 
to  say  it ! 

HANS 

[Slyly. ]  But  I  ought  to  stay  home.  It  needs 
a  man  to  look  after  the  children. 

RUTH 

[Jumping  up  and  down.~\  O,  Mutter  darling, 
let  him  stay  home.  Then  he  can  tell  us  stories, 
new  ones.  Yes  ? 

HANS 

And  you  bet  T've  got  some  grand  ones  I  just 
thought  of  this  minute. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  17 

MUTTER 

[Seriously.^  But  that's  just  what  you 
shouldn't  do!  T  don't  want  you  to  frighten 
the  children. 

HANS 

[Drawing  himself  up  proudly. ]  Perhaps  you 
don't  know,  Mutter  dear,  there  are — gypsies 
around  here. 

FANNY 

O — o — oh  !  Real  gypsies  ?  O  Hanschen,  do 
tell  us  about  them  ! 

GKETCHEN 

Now,  Hans,  if  you  are  going  to  get  them 
excited,  I  shall  never  keep  them  in  order  while 
Mutter  is  away. 

MUTTER 

But  where  did  you  hear  all  this  about  the 
gypsies  ?  Or  are  you  having  a  little  day-dream, 
as  you  have  had  so  often  ? 

HANS 

Why,  Mutter,  I  saw  them  myself,  and  you 
simply  ought  to  let  me  stay  home  and  take  care 
of  the  children.    Please! 
2 


18  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

MUTTER 

[Turning  back  into  the  kitchen.']  Well,  well, 
I'll  ask  Vater.  Perhaps  you  had  better  stay  at 
home. 

HANS 

[Turning  a  somersault.']  O,  bully!  [Whis- 
pers.] Come  here,  Kinder,  and  I'll  tell  you  what 
1  saw  'em  doing  to-day. 

[The  children  gather  round  him. 

FANNY 
Real  gypsies  ? 

HANS 

[Impressively.]  Well,  I  didn't  exactly  see 
them,  but  I  was  just  walking  along  the  road 
when  I  heard  singing  and  laughing.  Way  off 
in  the  distance  I  could  spy  lots  of  people  dancing 
and  having  a  jolly  time.  I  watched  them  ever 
so  long,  and  wished  we  could  live  there.  I  tell 
you,  that's  living. 

RUTH 
O  Hanschen,  tell  us  some  more. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  19 

HANS 

They  live  in  tents  and  wagons,  and  I'll  bet 
they  never  have  to  go  to  Schul ! 

GRETCHEN 

But,  Hans,  they  haven't  any  good  homes  like 
ours,  or  any  good  parents. 

HANS 

'Course  they  have  to  have  parents;  but  their 
parents  live  with  them,  and  they  have  fun  all 
day  long,  just  like  a  circus. 

[Hans  turns  somersaults,  etc.,  while  the 
children  stand  by  delighted. 

RUTH 
[Awestruck.]     1  never  saw  anything  like  it. 

FANNY 

I  want  to  be  a  gypsy !    I  want  to  be  a  gypsy ! 

GRETCHEN 

[Thoughtfully.]  It  all  sounds  very  wonder- 
ful, and  it  might  be  lots  of  fun  to  live  in  a  tent 
and  not  have  to  wash  dishes,  but  I  don't  think  it 


20  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

is  right  to  say  we  wish  we  were  they.     It  might 
not  be  so  grand  if  we  knew  all  about  it 

HANS 

Just  like  a  girl !  I  tell  you  if  ever  I  have  a 
chance  to  live  like  that,  in  a  tent,  and  play  or 
fish  all  day,  and  never  have  to  wash  my  face  or 
obey  anybody — you  bet,  if  I  had  just  one  chance, 
I'd  take  it,  quicker  than  you  could  say  "  Matzoh 
Shalet." 

GBETCHEN 

I  don't  think  you  ought  to  talk  that  way,  with 
your  good  Vater  and 

FANNY 
Vater,  papa  !    Here  he  comes  now ! 

[A  middle-aged  man  enters  the  gate.  He 
has  a  pack  of  notions  on  his  back,  and 
is  weary.  When  he  sees  his  children, 
his  face  brightens. 

VATEK 

My  darlings,  how  are  you  ?  Mutter,  Mutter, 
here  I  am 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  21 

MUTTER 

[Runs  out  and  kisses  him  while  tying  on 
her  bonnet.]  O  Simon,  I'm  so  glad  you  got 
back.  I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't  be  here  in  time 
for  Schul. 

VATEE 

Have  I  ever  been  late  ?  But  haven't  I  a  little 
time  for  my  babies  ? 

MUTTER 

I'm  afraid  not,  Simon  dear.  Just  a  minute 
for  a  cup  of  coffee.  It's  almost  five  o'clock,  and 
by  the  time  we  walk  to  ITatzfeld,  Schul  will 
have  begun. 

VATER 

That's  right,  and  we  don't  want  to  miss  the 
Megillah.  But,  Sarah,  I  shall  do  without  the 
cup  of  coffee.  I'd  rather  give  the  children  their 
holiday  goodies. 

[He  sits  down  on  a  little  bench,  the 
children  climb  over  him,  and  empty 
his  pockets  of  candy,  etc. 

FANNY 
Ain't  it  grand  to  have  holidays  ? 


22  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

VATER 

[Handing  a  ribbon  to  GRETCHEN  and  a  book 
to  HANS.]  Something  for  my  big  boy  and  girl 
who  look  after  their  little  sisters.  That's  a  fine 
story,  TTans,  that  "  Widow's  Son." 

HANS 

[Slowly  opening  it.]  Thank  yon  very  much, 
but  don't  you  ever  see  any  stories  about  pirntcs  ? 
or  gypsies  ? 

VATER 

[Smiling.]  They  must  have  stopped  writing 
them  for  big  boys  of  your  age. 

MUTTER 

[Anxiously.]  Simon,  do  you  think  there  is 
any  danger  leaving  the  children  alone  ?  Per- 
haps the  gypsies — 

VATER 

[Thoughtfully.]  Not  if  we  leave  our  big 
son  with  them.  Wouldn't  they  be  frightened  just 
to  look  at  him  ? 

PL/YNS 

[Proudly.]     Just  let  'em  try  to  come  here. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  23 

RUTH 
If  they  only  would ! 

VATER 

[Kissing  her.~\  Don't  wish  it,  my  darling, 
don't  wish  it.  Well,  Kinder,  Vater  would  love 
to  stay  with  you,  but  he  must  go  in  and  get  ready 
for  Schul. 

[He  goes  quickly  into  the  house. 

MUTTER 

[To  GRETCHEN.]  There  are  many  things  for 
you  to  do,  dear,  until  we  get  back.  Give  the 
little  ones  their  supper.  See  that  everything  is 
locked  up,  and  that  no  tramps  get  in. 

HANS 
Look  at  my  big  stick ! 

[Shakes  a  big  stick. 

MUTTER 

And  my  little  ones  will  be  good,  and  not  put 
their  feet  out  of  the  gate  until  Mutter  gets  back  ? 

FANNY 

We'll  be  so  good,  if  only  Hans  tells  us  some 
more  stories  about 


24  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

GRETCHEN 

[Putting  her  hand  over  her  mouth.]  Little 
girls  must  not  talk  so  much. 

MUTTER 

Hans,  remember,  nothing  exciting.  1  don't 
want  to  be  worrying  about  you. 

HANS 

[Grumblingly.]  Ach !  how  can  I  be  an  old 
man,  when  I'm  a  little  boy  ? 

VATER 

[Coming  out,  clean  and  fresh,  the  Megillah 
in  his  hand.]  I  only  wish  we  could  take  them 
with  us,  Sarah  dear,  but  since  we  cannot,  we 
must  pray  for  their  safety  until  we  return.  May 
God  watch  over  you  and  keep  you. 

[He  kisses  them. 
GRETCHEN 
Don't  worry,  father  dear. 

RUTH 
[Whimpering.]    I  want  to  go  with  mamma. 

FANNY 
I  want  to  see  the  gypsies. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  25 

GRETCHEN 

You'd  better  go  quickly,  mother  dear,  before 
they  both  begin. 

VATER 

[As  they  hurry  out  of  the  gate.~\     Good-by, 
my  darlings,  good-by. 

MUTTER 

[Moving  off.~]     How  I  do  hate  to  leave  them 
to-night ! 

HANS 

[As  soon  as  they  have  disappeared.^     If  you 
don't  stop,  I'll  sell  you  to  the  gypsies. 

GRETCHEN 
Come,  dear,  we'll  go  in  and  fix  supper. 

RUTH 
Can't  I  jump  your  back,  Hansy  ?  just  once. 

HANS 

Well,  just  once. 

[While  the  girls  are  jumping  over 
his  back,  GRETCHEN  watching,  FRAU 
GLOBSTOCK,  a  little  old  lady  with  a 
cane,  comes  stumping  in  at  the  gate. 
She  wears  a  shawl,  and  carries  a  basket 
over  her  arm. 


26  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

GRETCHEN 

[Surprised.]  Why,  Fran  Globstock,  I 
thought  you  went  to  Schul. 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Wriggling  her  head  and  smiling.]  Do  you 
think  I  could  forget  ray  babies  on  Purim  ?  Have 
your  parents  gone? 

HANS 

Sure,  and  you'll  never  get  there  in  time  if  you 
don't  hurry. 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[As  if  to  turn  away.]  So  you  don't  want  to 
see  what  I  have  in  my  basket  ? 

FANNY 

[Running  to  her.]  O — o — oh!  Of  course. 
Is  it  something  sweet  ? 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 
[Waving  her  cane  in  a  circle.] 
"  High  low,  high  lee,  high  deedle — dee — dee 
Some  candy  and  cakes  for  my  little  pettees. 
Naughty   little   Hamans  with   wicked  raisin 
eyes." 

[She  opens  her  basket,  and  takes  out 
gingerbread  men. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  27 

ALT, 

[Dancing  around  her.~\ 

"  Frau  Globstock,  Frau  Globstock,  Frau  Glob- 
stock, 
Tbe  nicest  old  lady  tbat  ever  grew  up." 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[As  she  gives  them  cakes.']  My  little  dears, 
you  aren't  afraid  of  me,  are  you  ?  You  don't 
think  I'm  a  witch  ? 

RUTH 

[Wonderingly.~\     What's  a  witch? 

GRETCHEN 

[Putting  her  hand  on  RUTH'S  moutli.~\ 
S — s — sh,  darling. 

HANS 

What  do  you  know  about  gypsies  ? 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Shaking  her  head  wisely. ~\  Me  ?  I  know  all 
about  everything.  But  I  advise  you  not  to  bother 
about  bad  people  that  would  like  to  come  and 
carry  von  off. 


28  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

GRETCHEN 
But  why  should  they  want  to  carry  us  off  ? 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 

Because  they  are  bad  and  like  to  make  money 
out  of  poor  little  babies.  After  they  steal  them, 
if  their  parents  won't  pay  enough  to  buy  them 
back,  they  stew  them  and  eat  them  up. 

HANS 

I  think  that  would  be  a  great  adventure. 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 

It  might  be  in  a  fairy  story.  If  it  happened 
to  you,  dearie,  I'm  afraid  you  wouldn't  think  it 
so  great. 

FANNY 

But  how  do  you  know  ?  You  never  had  any 
little  children  to  be  carried  off,  did  you  ? 

FRATJ  GLOBSTOCK 

[Sadly.~\  No,  my  little  children  have  all 
flown  away.  That's  why  I  love  other  little 
children,  and  never  want  anything  to  happen  to 
them.  Hans,  I  wish  you'd  promise  me  not  to 
think  any  more  about  the  gypsies. 

[HANS  doesn't  answer,  but  sits  with  his 
head  sunk  in  thought. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  29 

GRETCHEN 

I'll  make  him  stop  talking  about  them  any- 
way, Frau  Globstock.  Don't  you  worry,  or  let 
us  keep  you  from  Schul. 

FBAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Turning  away  regretfully. ,]  I'll  not  be  late. 
I  fly  where  others  walk.  Remember,  when 
I  come  back,  you  will  have  some  more  little 
Hamans  with  the  wicked  raisin  eyes.  [As  she 
hobbles  out.]  Atye,  atye,  atye!  1  fly  where 
others  walk. 

HANS 

[Scornfully.]  I  do  believe  she's  a  witch  any- 
way. 

[In  the  distance  FRAU  GLOBSTOCK  can 
be  heard  singing,  "  I  fly  where  others 
walk." 

RUTH 

[As  GRETCHEN  goes  into  the  house.]  Can't 
Hans  tell  us  that  story  now  ? 

GRETCHEN 
I'll  be  glad  if  he  will. 

[HANS  sits  down  under  a  tree  discon- 
tentedly, and  begins  to  whistle.  He 
pays  very  little  attention  to  the  chil- 
dren. 


30  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

FANNY 

A  story,  a  story !     You  promised  us  a  story ! 

HANS 
Ach,  give  me  time  to  think. 

{The  little  children  gather  round  his 
knee,  and  in  a  short  time  sounds  of 
singing  and  a  flute  are  heard  opposite 
to  entrance  through  which  FRAU 
GLOBSTOOK  has  disappeared. 

RUTH 
What  a  pretty  song! 

FANNY 

[Running  to  the  gate.~\     And  what  a  pretty 
lady,  two  pretty  ladies ! 

[Four  wandering  minstrels  enter  the 
gate.  They  are  the  Ricos,  and  are 
dressed  in  old  worn-out  costumes. 
They  carry  various  musical  instru- 
ments, and  might  readily  deceive 
people  into  thinking  them  strolling 
players.  They  continue  singing  and 
dancing  a  few  minutes  after  they  have 
ceased  playing. 


THE  POWER  OF  PUR1M  31 

RUTH 

[Jumping  up  and  down.']     Isn't  that  grand? 
Do  it  again. 

CARMEN  Rico 

[Patting  her  curls.~]   Dear  little  baby  !  Whom 
do  you  belong  to  ? 

RUTH 

Vater  and  Mutter  Siegel. 

[The  gypsies  whisper  among  themselves. 

MANUEL  Rico 

[Aside  to  Luis.]     Vater  Siegel,  a  rich  man. 
We  will  stay  a  while.    Talk  to  them,  Carmen. 

ISABELLA  Rico 

[Aside  to  MANUEL.]     I  choose  the  baby,  you 
may  have  the  others. 

MANUEL 
Shut  up,  you  will  spoil  our  game,  you  women. 

CARMEN 

[To  HANS,  who  has  been  staring  bewitched.] 
We  are  very  tired.     May  we  rest  here  a  while  ? 


32  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

HANS 
Tf  you  play  for  us.    Who  are  you  anyway  ? 

Luis 

[Striking  an  attitude,  and  turning  a  somer- 
sault.^ 

"  Dusty,  dusty,  travelers  we, 
Light  of  heart  and  full  of  glee." 

MANUEL 

We  are  travelers,  and  we  are  seeing  your 
beautiful  country.  We  know  your  father  and 
shall  wait  until  he  returns. 

FANNY 
And  you  will  sing  ? 

CARMEN 

Pretty  baby,  just  like  our  little  sister.  Come 
here,  dear. 

ISABELLA 

[Looking  at  the  cottage  and  sighing.']  I  wish 
we  had  a  house  like  that,  I'm  so  tired  of  wander- 
ing. 

Luis 

[Sniffing  the  air  and  leering. .]  "  I  smell.  I 
smell  a  sweet  to  eat !  " 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  33 

GKETCHEN 

[Coming  to  the  door,  wearing  a  big  kitchen 
apron.]  Come  to  supper —  Why,  who  are 
you  ? 

Luis 

[Jumping  up  and  down.] 

"  Merry,  merry  minstrels  we, 
Light  of  foot  and  full  of  glee." 

GKETCHEN 

[Surprised.]  Do  you  live  around  here?  I 
never  saw  you  before.  [Warningly  to  HANS.] 
Bring  the  children  in  to  supper. 

HANS 

Ach,  don't  be  afraid.  They  know  Vater. 
Come  on  out,  and  hear  the  music. 

GRETCHEN 

[Demurringly.']  I  don't  think  we  should, 
these  strangers — 

RUTH 

But  they  know  Vater 

3 


34  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

GRETCHEN 

[Coming  down  the  step.]  Is  that  so  ?  When 
did  you  see  him  ? 

MANUEL 

[Quickly.]  This  evening,  on  the  road  to  Hatz- 
feld.  He  is  at  synagogue  to-night  for  the  Purim 
holiday.  Isn't  that  so  ? 

GRETCHEN 
[Evidently  impressed.]    Yes — that's  so. 

Luis 
And  here  will  we  loiter  until  he  returns. 

ISABELLA 

[Sweetly  to  GRETCHEN.]  You'll  like  us,  I'm 
sure,  dear,  as  much  as  we  already  like  you. 
We're  old  friends  of  your  family. 

CARMEN 

[Stroking  GRETCHEN'S  hair.]  Such  pretty 
hair !  Why  don't  you  tie  it  up  ?  See  mine. 

[Shakes  her  long  black  hair. 


THE  POWER  OP  PURIM  35 

GRETCHEN 

But  I  must  do  as  my  Mutter  says,  mustn't 
you? 

ISABELLA 
Mutter,  Mutter,  what's  a  Mutter  ? 

CABMEN 

[As  if  in  ignorance.]  We  have  no  Mutter, 
and  we  mustn't  do  as  anybody  says. 

GRETCHEN 

It  must  be  nice  to  do  just  as  you  please.  No 
dishes  to  wash — just  play  all  day. 

CARMEN 

[Shaking  her  tambourine.]  Happy,  happy 
days  !  When  we  get  tired  of  doing  one  thing,  we 
do  another.  When  we  get  tired  of  one  place,  we 
go  to  another.  Don't  we,  Manuel  ? 

MANUEL 

Move  on  !  move  on  !  move  on  !  Whom  should 
we  obey  ?  The  sky  is  our  covering,  the  grass  our 
carpet. 

HANS 
But  don't  you  ever  have  to  do  anything  ? 


36  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

Luis. 

O,  yes,  we  entertain  little  boys  and  girls,  and 
take  them  with  us,  if  they  want  to  go. 

FANNY 

And  do  you  dance  and  sing  for  them  ? 

ISABELLA 

[Using  tambourine  and  dancing.']  Yes,  this 
way,  sweetest,  and  this  way. 

[Kisses  and  hugs  the  little  girl. 

MANUEL 

And  when  we  are  tired,  we  lie  down  on  the 
grass,  look  up  at  the  sky,  and  have  the  birds 
sing  us  to  sleep. 

GRETCIIEN 
How  lovely !    No  beds  to  make  ? 

CARMEN 

Beds,  how  foolish !  Why  do  you  need  beds, 
when  you  sleep  on  the  grass  or  in  tents  ? 

HANS 
Tents !    Then  you  are  gypsies? 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  37 

GRETCHEN 

[Frightened,  gathers  up  her  little  sisters.] 
Gypsies !  Come  in,  children,  quick,  come — 

ISABELLA 

[Seeing  they  have  made  a  mistake.]  What's 
a  gypsy  ?  T  never  heard  of  them,  did  you, 
Manuel  ? 

MANUEL 

[Brandishing  his  stick,  fiercely.]  Who  dares 
rail  us  gypsies  ? 

"  Wandering  minstrels,  happy  we, 
Light  of  heart  and  full  of  glee." 
Who  dares  call  us  gypsies  ? 

HANS 

I  guess  you  made  a  mistake,  Gret,  you  just 
thought 

Luis 

[Turning  a  somersault,  and  assuming  a  gro- 
tesque attitude,  which  makes  the  children 
laugh.~]  Did  anybody  say  anything  about  gyp- 
sies ? 


38  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

CABMEN 

Yes,  darlings,  don't  let  us  keep  yon  from 
supper. 

GRETCHEN 

[Hesitating.~\  Perhaps  yon  would  like 
some  ? 

MANUEL 

Many,  many  thanks,  but  we  never  go  inside 
a  house.  [Making  a  pass  in  the  air.~]  Bad, 
bad  luck ! 

HANS 
Isn't  that  strange? 

Luis 

The  air  makes  us  very,  very  sick.  We  cough, 
and  choke,  and  are  very  unhappy.  We  shall  wait 
out  here. 

HANS 

But  that  wouldn't  be  polite.  Gretchen, 
couldn't  we  bring  it  out  ? 

RUTH  AND  FANNY 

[Gleefully.~\  Yes,  let's  eat  under  the  tree. 
We  shall  help  you. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  39 

GRETCHEN 

All  right!  Only  we  must  clear  everything 
away  before  Vater  and  Mutter  come  home. 

[Hurries  into  the  house. 

MANUEL 

[With  seeming  indifference.^  And  when  do 
you  think  that  will  be  ? 

HANS 

Oh,  any  time  now.  You  can  never  tell  just 
how  long  Sclnil  takes,  or  whether  they  stop  off 
on  the  way  back.  But  I  don't  think  they'll  do 
that  to-night.  They're  worried  about  gypsies. 

CARMEN 

•[Innocently.]  But  why  is  your  Vater  afraid 
of  gypsies  ?  We  aren't. 

ISABELLA 
How  foolish  !    Of  course,  we  aren't. 

HANS 

[Wisely.']  Well,  you  ought  to  be,  'cause 
they're  very  wicked.  They  steal  little  children, 
then  fathers  have  to  pay  a  lot  to  get  them  back. 


40  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

MANUEL 

[Teasingly.~]  I'll  bet  your  father  wouldn't 
pay  anything,  he'd  be  so  glad  you  were  gone. 

HANS 

[Earnestly."]  Oh,  no,  he  wouldn't,  because  he 
loves  us.  He  often  says  we're  his  greatest  bless- 
ing. He's  got  a  lot  of  money  tucked  away  for 
us  in  case  anything  ever  happens  to  him. 

GKETCHEN 

I  Calling  from  the  house.'}  Hans,  do  come 
here  and  help  me  bring  things  out, 

HANS 

[Running.']  All  right!  Excuse  me,  I'll  be 
out  in  a  minute. 

MANUEL 

Hurry,  hurry,  fools.  Or  the  old  ones  will  be 
back  and  spoil  our  game.  This  is  all  too  slow. 
You  girls  might  grab  the  babies,  I  can  manage 
Hans.  Once  we  get  them  away,  the  old  man  will 
pay  anything  to  get  them  back.  You  heard  that 
he  has  money  hidden  ? 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  41 

Luis 

Why  not  tie  up  the  brats,  steal  the  money, 
and  run  ? 

CARMEN 

No,  I  won't  let  you  do  that.  You  shall  not 
harm  them.  They  are  too  sweet.  I'll  not  help, 
if  you  do. 

ISABELLA 

Nor  I !  Tie  up  that  baby  ?  I  guess  not.  I 
want  that  baby  to  keep. 

Luis 
[Sneeringly.^     Soft-hearted  women! 

CARMEN 

I  said  I  am  willing  to  help  steal  the  children 
and  keep  them  until  their  parents  buy  them 
back.  But  harm  them,  no ! 

Luis 

[Sneeringly.]  He'll  have  to  pay  a  lot  .all  right 
for  leaving  them  alone  on  this  holiday. 

MANUEL 
All  right!     We'll  follow  your  plan,  if  you 


42  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

help  us  to  get  them  away  quick.    S — s — sh,  here 

they  come. 

[The  children  hurry  out,  bringing  cold 
meat,  etc.  All  sit  under  the  tree  in 
comfortable  attitudes,  and  eat  eagerly. 

CABMEN 

[Eating  cakeJ\  My!  but  this  is  good.  Did 
you  bake  it,  Gretchen  ? 

GRETCHEN 
Of  course !    I  do  a  lot  of  cooking. 

ISABELLA 
But  don't  you  get  tired  of  working  ? 

GRETCHEN 

Sometimes.  But  there's  always  so  much  to 
do,  I  haven't  time  to  think  about  it. 

CARMEN 

Wouldn't  you  like  to  live  in  a  place  where 
you  wouldn't  have  to  cook  ?  Just  eat,  and  eat, 
and  eat  ? 

GRETCHEN 
Is  there  such  a  place  ? 


THE  POWER  OP  PURIM  43 

ISABELLA 
Come  with  us,  we'll  show  yon. 

GRETCHEN 

But  I  couldn't  leave  my  sisters,  not  even  for  a 
minute. 

MANUEL 

They  could  come  too,  all  of  you,  and  be  here 
again  by  the  time  your  parents  get  back.  Come 
to  the  beautiful  place  where  the  birds  sing,  the 
stars  shine,  and  all  is  beautiful  forever! 

Luis 

Yes,  come  to  the  happy  land,  where  you  can 
dance  and  play  all  day,  and  at  night  lie  under 
the  stars.  No  errands  to  run  on,  no  Schul  to  go 
to,  no  papas  to  scold  us. 

HANS 

T  should  like  to  see  such  a  place  once ! 

CARMEN 
Where  we  could  dance  and  sing  to  you  all  day ! 

RUTH 
Dance  for  us  now  ! 


44  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

CARMEN  AND  ISABELLA 

[Jump  up  and  wink  to  MANUEL.]     We  will 
all  dance. 

[FANNY  lias  fallen  asleep  on  the  bench, 
they  all  seem  to  have  forgotten  her. 
MANUEL  plays  the  flute  while  all 
dance. 

GRETCHEN 
Isn't  it  lovely  ? 

ISABELLA 
Come  and  we  will  show  you  how. 

[All  dance  around  in  a  merry  circle,  the 
gypsies  singing: 
"  Merry,  merry  minstrels  we, 
Light  of  heart  and  full  of  glee. 
Come  with  us  and  you  shall  see." 
Dancing  thus,  they  draw  imperceptibly 
nearer  to  the  gate  and  out  into  the 
road.    They  can  be  heard  singing  for  a 
few  minutes,  then  all  is  quiet.    Lights 
are  lowered,  and  there  is  no  sound,  save 
that  of  little  FANNY  breathing  regu- 
larly.   The  remnants  of  the  supper  lie 
forgotten  on  the  floor.    A  few  moments 
later    "VATER    and    MUTTER    SIEGEL 
enter  from  the  exit  opposite  to  the  one 
which  the  children  have  used. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  45 

VATER 
Ach  !  I'm  so  glad  to  be  home  again  ! 

MUTTER 

So  quiet!  I  wonder  if  the  children  are  all 
asleep?  [Calls.]  Hans — Gretchen  ! 

VATER 

[Seeing  crumbs  and  bread,  etc.]  Why,  what's 
this  ?  Did  you  tell  them  to  have  their  supper 
out  of  doors,  Sarah  ? 

MUTTER 

No,  indeed.  I  suppose  they  did  it  for  fun. 
[Sees  FANNY  asleep  on  the  bench.]  This  doesn't 
look  right !  Would  my  Gretchen  do  this  ? 

VATER 

[Calling  sternly.]  Hans!  I  want  you  to 
stop  hiding!  Hans,  come  out  here. 

MUTTER 

Perhaps  he's  frightened.  You  look  after 
Fanny.  I'll  go  in  and  see. 


46  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

VATKK 

[Picking  up  FANNY.]     Very,  very  strange! 
I  hope  nothing  is  wrong. 

MUTTER 

[Coming  out  frightened.]     Nobody — at — all 
—is — there — 

VATER 

What !     Nobody  !     We  must  wake  up  Fanny 
and  ask  her ! 

MUTTER 

[Shaking  the  sleeping  child.]     Darling,  tell 
us,  tell  Mutter  what  has  happened. 

FANNY 

[Waking  up  partly.]      What  is   it,   Mutter 
dear  ? 

MUTTER 

Where  are  Gretchen  and  Hans,  and  Ruth,  my 
baby  Ruth  ? 

FANNY 
[Plaintively.]     I  want  to  go — to — sleep. 

VATER 

But  you   must  know,   darling.      Tell   Vater 
where  they  have  gone. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  47 

FANNY 

Have  gone  ?  Have  gone  ?  Have  gone  ?  I 
want  to  go  to  sleep. 

[She  falls  asleep  again. 

MUTTER 

[Despairingly.]  It's  no  use.  She  never  re- 
members anything  when  she's  sleepy.  What  can 
have  happened  to  them  ? 

VATER 
Could  they  have  gone  to  Frau  Globstock  ? 

MUTTEK 

They  wouldn't  do  that  when  they  promised 
me  not  to  go  out.  Besides,  I  saw  her  in  Schul, 
and  she  said  she  would  stop  here  on  her  way 
home. 

VATER 

Did  you  look  everywhere  ?  Take  Fanny  and 
I  will  go  in — 

[He  runs  into  house. 

MUTTER 
My  darling,  can't  you  remember  where  your 

sisters  are  ? 

[FANNY  doesn't  move. 


48  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

VATEB 

[Running  out  distractedly.]     What  shall  we 
do  ?     What  shall  we  do  ? 

MUTTER 

[Begins  to  cry.]   Dear  Lord  !  Help  us!  Help 
us  to  find  our  little  ones. 

FEAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Comes  stumping  in  at  the  gate.~\    What's  the 
matter  ?    What's  the  matter  ? 

VATER 

[Wildly.]     Our  children !     Our  babies!     All 
have  gone  !    All  but  Fanny  here 

MUTTER 
Could  they  be  in  your  house,  Frau  Globstock  ? 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

No,  I  have  just  come  from  there.     But  don't 
worry,  dear  friends,  all  will  come  right. 

MUTTER 
What  shall  we  do,  where  shall  we  look  ? 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  49 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 
Are  you  sure  they  are  not  hiding  ? 

VATEE 

If  I  only  knew  where  they  go  to  play,  I  could 
look  for  them.  But  I  have  been  away  so  much. 

MUTTER 

And  I  am  always  so  busy,  I  haven't  noticed. 
But  you,  Fran  Globstock —  you — 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

Yes,  I  know  every  inch  of  the  roadside,  and 
the  dells.  I  see  them  playing  every  day,  and  if 
you  will  promise  me  to  stay  quietly  at  home,  I 
will  bring  your  children  back  to  you ;  for  they 
are  not  far  away. 

MUTTER 

\_Surprised.~\  How  do  you  know  ?  People  do 
say  you  know  everything. 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

Yes,  they  call  me  a  witch,  and  I  can  be  one 
when  I  want  to.    But  promise  me,  Vater  Siegel, 
4 


50  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

you  will  stay  here,  or  I  cannot  bring  your  chil- 
dren back. 

VATEE 

We  promise  anything,   [imploringly]   if  you 
will  only  hurry  with  our  darlings. 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

And  you,  Mutter  Siegel,  compose  yourself, 
and  pray  for  me,  as  I  go  to  find  your  children. 

VATER 
Only  hurry !  hurry  !  hurry  ! 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Skipping  to  the  gate.] 

"  I  skip,  I  jump,  I  see, 
I  see  your  children  three." 

[She  goes  out  muttering. 

MUTTER 
O  how  can  we  wait  until  she  returns  ? 

VATER 
We  promised,  so  we  must 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  51 

MUTTER 
Then  1  shall  take  Fanny  to  bed. 

[Goes  into  house,  carrying  FANNY,  while 
VATER  walks  restlessly  up  and  down, 
then  sinks  on  the  bench  under  the  tree, 
exhausted. 

MUTTER 

[Coming  back  sadly. ]      The  way  that  baby 
sleeps  !    If  only  my  others  were  lying  beside  her ! 

VATER 

Come  and  sit  down,  Mutter,  and  we  will  pray. 
[They  pray  together  on  the  bench,  the 
light  shines  on  their  faces.  In  a  few 
minutes — they  are  so  weary — they  fall 
asleep.  Soon  HANS  and  GRETCHEN, 
looking  bedraggled  and  woebegone, 
enter  the  gate,  and  FRAU  GLOBSTOCK, 
carrying  the  tired  RUTH,  follows. 
She  pushes  the  children  in;  then,  see- 
ing the  sleeping  parents,  she  pauses. 
Taking  RUTH,  she  places  her  in  her 
mother's  arms,  and  draws  back  behind 
the  other  children. 


52  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

MUTTER 

[Stirring.]  Fanny  dear,  tell  me  where  my 
babies  are.  [She  wakes  up.~\  Why,  it  isn't 
Fanny  at  all,  but  Ruth,  my  darling,  and— 
[Shaking  VATEK.]  Wake  up,  wake  up,  here  is 
Ruthie ! 

VATER 
The  Lord  be  praised ! 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 
And  your  other  wanderers 


[Pushing  them  forward. 

GKETCHEN 

[Sobbing  at  her  mother  s  knee.]    I'm  so  sorry, 
I  didn't  mean  to — 

HANS 

[Sturdily.]     It  was  all  my  fault,  I  disobeyed. 

VATER 
[Embracing  /urn.]     O  my  son,  my  son ! 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

They    are    only   children,    and    the    gypsies 
fooled  them. 


THE  POWER  OF  PURIM  53 

VATEE 

[Horrified.~\     The  gypsies  ? 

FRAU  GLOBSTOCK 

Yes,  they  were  only  a  bit  down  the  road.  It 
wasn't  so  nice,  eh,  my  pretties  ? 

GRETCHEN 

[Trembling. ~\  No,  they  hit  us,  and  made  us 
hurry.  Then  they  talked  about  where  they 
would  hide  us,  until  you  paid  enough  to  get  us 
back. 

MUTTER 

Schrecklich  !  Then  it  wasn't  so  much  fun  after 
all,  Hans? 

HANS 

[Repentantly.']  No,  Mutter.  I  guess  after 
all  home  is  best. 

VATER 

Frau  Globstock,  you  have  been  very  good  to 
us.  How  can  we  ever  repay  you  ? 

FRAU  GI.OBSTOCK 

Ach  !  Shmoos !  aren't  they  my  babies  too  ? 
Don't  I  love  them  ? 


54  THE  POWER  OF  PURIM 

MUTTER 

[Wonderingly.~\  But,  Frau  Globstock,  what- 
ever did  you  do  to  make  those  awful  people  let 
them  go  ?  I  should  have  been  afraid. 

FKAU  GLOBSTOCK 

[Smiling. ~\  Ach !  such  stupid  people !  They 
thought  I  was  a  witch,  so  a  witch  I  was.  I  waved 
my  stick  in  the  air  three  times,  like  this  [she  docs 
if],  and  shrieked:  "  The  Power  of  Purim,  The 
Power  of  Purim,  The  Power  of  Purim  !  If  you 
don't  drop  those  children,  I  shall  cast  a  spell 
over  you  forever !  "  They  dropped  them  all 
right,  and  ran  as  fast  as  they  could. 

VATER 
The  Power  of  Purim !    The  Lord  be  praised. 

FBATJ  GLOBSTOCK 

[Turning  away  happily  from  the  pretty  pic- 
ture of  the  reunited  family  and  hobbling  out  by 
the  gate.]  The  Power  of  Purim — the  Power  of 
the  Lord  you  mean. 

CURTAIN 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

CHARACTERS 

PHILIP  BECKMAN,  aged  twelve. 

MRS.   PHILIP  BECKMAN,   his  mother. 

BELLA,  his  aunt. 

MOLLY,  his  nurse. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGEB,  his  physician. 

HABBT,  "  Menelaus  " 

SAMMY,  "  King  Antiochus  " 

HEKBIE,  "  Mattathias  " 

CHARLIE,  "  Judas  Maccabeus  ' 

MARK,  "  -Simon  "  f"  h™  friends. 

ERNEST,  "  Johanan  " 

Louis,  "  Eleazar  " 

BERNIE,  "  Jonathan  "  j 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

SCENE. — The    pretty    living-room    of    MRS. 
PHILIP  BECKMAN,  Homestead,  Pa. 

TIME. — The  eve  before  Hanukkah,  the  present. 

DISCOVERED  AT  RISE  OF  CURTAIK- 

PHILIP,  a  pale-faced  boy,  lying  on  a  couch, 
half-covered  by  a  robe,  left  front.  His 
mother  standing  next  to  him,  with  medicine 
bottle  and  spoon.  On  a  chair  beside  PHILIP 
is  DOCTOR  SLESINGER,  whose  hat  and  small 
medicine  satchel  lie  on  the  floor  beside  him. 
MOLLY,  PHILIP'S  withered  old  nurse,  is 
fanning  the  sick  boy  devotedly.  All  around 
are  scattered  the  appurtenances  of  a  com- 
fortable living-room:  plenty  of  chairs,  an 
open  fireplace,  a  transparent  screen  before 
the  fire.  Lamps  are  lit,  and  the  scene  is 
pretty  and  cozy. 


58  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

Yes,  he  has  a  little  rise  of  temperature.  You 
say  he  does  not  complain  of  any  special  pain, 
Mrs.  Beckman  ? 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Anxiously.']  Not  any  more  than  usual.  But 
he  worries  me  a  great  deal,  Doctor.  For  a  long 
time  now  he  has  been  pale  and  quiet. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Shaking  his  head.],  He  should  be  out  play- 
ing like  other  boys.  Philip,  won't  you  tell  the 
doctor  what  hurts  you  ? 

PHILIP 
It  doesn't  hurt  anywhere. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Feeling  his  chest,  back,  etc.]  No  pain  at  all  ? 
I  must  confess,  the  case  puzzles  me.  How  is  his 
appetite,  Mrs.  Beckman  ? 

MOLLY 

[In  a  trembling,  high-pitched  voice.]  O 
Doctor,  no  more'n  a  birdie.  A  little  peck  here 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  59 

and  there.  It's  only  when  Molly  brings  him  a 
big  piece  of  chocolate  cake  that  he  wants  to  eat 
at  all. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 
[Smiting.]     That  sounds  natural. 

PHILIP 
Rut  T  like  chocolate  cake. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

Yes,  that's  it!  He  nibbles  what  he  likes — 
cake,  candy,  jam — bnt  I  can't  get  him  to  eat 
bread  and  butter. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

Sounds  like  a  case  of  mother-love.  I  should 
advise  a  little  stronger  food  than  chocolate  cake. 

PHILIP 

[Burying  liis  head  in  i\\e  pillow  and  beginning 
to  cry.~\  O — o — h! 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Lovingly.'}  My  darling!  You're  breaking 
mother's  heart. 


60  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

MOLLY 

My  love !  Don't  cry.  Molly  won't  let  them 
hurt  you.  [Pleadingly  to  the  doctor.']  Please 
don't  tease  my  little  lamb. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Out  of  patience.~\  If  he  were  mine,  he  would 
have  some  treatment  of  the  boot-strap  variety. 
I  wish  T  could  persuade  you,  Mrs.  Beckman — 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

But,  Doctor  Slesinger,  you  know  this  isn't 
natural.  Philip  doesn't  sleep  right;  he  dreams 
dreadfully. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Shaking  his  head  and  smiling.']  If  he  were 
older,  I  might  say  some  love-affair,  but  who  can 
conceal  a  secret  sorrow  at  twelve?  How  about 
school  ?  Is  he  interested,  Mrs.  Beckman  ? 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Horrified.]  Why,  I  don't  send  him  to  public 
sc.hool.  Indeed  not!  Hundreds  of  children 
coming  from  Heaven  knows  where ! 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  61 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

Probably  just  what  he  needs.  Hothouse 
flowers  often  wilt,  my  friend.  At  least  they  don't 
grow  big  like  garden  plants  and  vegetables. 

MOLLY 

[Excitedly,  crooning  over  PHILIP.]  Garden 
plants  and  vegetables!  My  pet,  my  love,  my 
angel ! 

BELLA 

[A  sweet  young  girl,  hurrying  in,  her  prayer 
book  under  her  arm.^  Hello,  folks!  What! 
Our  baby  ill  ?  [Runs  over  and  hugs  PHILIP.] 
My  darling !  And  I  thought  Auntie  was  to  be 
allowed  to  take  him  to  Temple  with  her — 

PHILIP 
But — I — don't — want — to — go ! 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

I  just  sent  for  the  doctor,  Bella.    You  know 
Doctor  Slesinger?     [They  smile  and 
was  so  worried  about  Philip ! 

BELLA 
More  than  usually  ? 


62  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

DOCTOR  SLESINGEU 

I  admit,  he  puzzles  me  too,  Miss  Bella.  I  can't 
find  a  pain  or  an  ache. 

MOLLY 

In  a  minute  our  doctor  will  be  sending  him  to 
school,  along  with  the  riffraff  and  everyday  boys. 

BELLA 

But  that's  where  he  ought  to  be.  Haven't  I 
always  said  so  ?  O  Doctor,  I  do  wish  you  would 
be  firm  and  tell  my  sister  that  precious  little 
Philip  should  be  up  and  doing  with  other  chil- 
dren. 

PHILIP 

[Slowly. ,]  But — I — want — to — go — to— 
school. 

BELLA 

[Delightedly.^  You  hear  him,  Lottie,  you 
hear  for  yourself.  Don't  you  see  it's  foolish  to 
keep  your  angel  wrapped  in  cotton  wool  ? 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Firmly. ~\  My  baby  shall  not  go  to  school, 
nor  to  Sundav  school  either.  I  cannot  afford  to 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  63 

let  my  only  child  run  the  risk  of  contagious  dis- 
eases and  bad  habits.  You  both  know  what  ordi- 
nary boys  attend  the  Homestead  schools. 

BELLA 
Yes,  real  boys,  with  real  blood  in  their  veins. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 
You're  right,  Miss  Bella,  quite  right. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

But  I  teach  him  everything,  every  day  at 
home.  I  give  him  Sunday  school  and  Bible  les- 
sons most  carefully  myself. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

All  of  which  does  not  include  child  compan- 
ions. Mrs.  Beckman,  I  begin  to  see  why  your 
little  boy  is  pale  and  listless. 

PHILIP 

[Listlessly.  ]  The — other — day — Sammy — 
and  Charlie — and  I — we  played  Indians.  We 
had  a  battle  with  Daniel  Boone  and  Ouster  and 
George  Washington  and — and  Abraham  Lincoln. 


64  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Delightedly.']  Wrong  on  the  dates,  but  right 
in  the  spirit.  Mrs.  Beckman,  that  is  all  your 
boy  needs.  Normal  companionship,  even  though 
he  should  come  home  with  a  dirty  face  and  a 
bump  on  his  nose. 

MOLLY 

[Tragically. ]     A  bump  on  his  nose  ! 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

I'm  afraid  I  can't  follow  your  prescription, 
Doctor.  My  boy  is  already  too  imaginative,  and 
those  boys  might  some  day  lead  him  into  a  serious 
adventure. 

BELLA 

[Picking  up  prayer  book  and  muff.']  I  give  it 
up,  Lottie.  If  you  refuse  to  see  that  we  are  living 
in  a  real  world,  that  your  boy  is  only  a  real  boy, 
and  that,  worst  of  all,  you  are  cheating  him  out 
of  his  real  youth — the  case  is  almost  hopeless. 

PHILIP 
I'm  so  hungry — I  want  some  chocolate  cake. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  65 

MOLLY 

[Hurrying  out.']  Wait,  darling,  Molly  will 
get  it  for  you. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGEE 

[Snapping  his  satchel  shut.']  I'm  afraid  1 
shall  have  to  give  up  the  case,  Mrs.  Beckman, 
until  you  are  more  willing  to  listen  to  reason. 
First,  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  your  boy 
but  a  bad  case  of  "  spoiling,"  and  secondly,  I 
advise  you  strongly  that  he  needs  boys  of  his 
own  age,  not  ladies,  as  companions. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Softly,  but  with  determination.]  I'm  afraid, 
Doctor,  I  cannot  agree  that  that  is  the  cause  of 
the  trouble. 

BELLA 

Well,  sister,  you  are  coming  to  temple  any- 
way. Philip  is  no  worse  than  usual,  in  fact,  a 
bit  better.  Come,  Lottie.  I'm  sure  that  the  calm 
and  peace  of  the  synagogue  will  prove  to  you 
that  the  doctor  is  quite  right. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 
[Putting  on  hat  and  coat,  sadly.]     Of  course, 


66  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

I  don't  want  to  miss  service  on  Hanukkah — but, 
Doctor — 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

I  can  only  say,  Mrs.  Beckman,  that  your  boy 
needs  the  tonic  of  human  nature — some  stirring 
interest,  either  real  or  imaginative. 

MRS.   BECKMAN 

[Shaking  her  head;  goes  over  to  MOLLY  to 
give  directions.^  Molly,  now  remember,  toast 
and  jam — 

[Continues  to  give  orders  quietly,  while 
DOCTOR  SLESINGER  and  BELLA  talk 
together. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

Seriously,  Miss  Bella,  I  wish  we  could  get  the 
boy  away  from  here  for  a  while. 

BELLA 

If  only  his  father  had  lived,  there  would  not 
have  been  this  petticoat  rule.  [A  trifle  mis- 
chievously.] But  don't  give  up,  Doctor,  I've  a 
trick  or  two  up  my  sleeve. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 
What  do  you  mean  ? 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  67 

BELLA 

[Whispering. ~\  To-night,  after  we're  gone, 
there  Avill  be  some  happenings  around  here. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGEE 
Nothing  dangerous  ? 

BELLA 

O,  no,  I'm  not  so  foolish.  Just  some  real  boys, 
who  know  how  to  live  in  the  past  as  well  as  the 
present.  [As  MRS.  BECKMAN  turns  towards 
them.']  S — s — sh  !  Won't  you  order  that  Philip 
should  stay  here,  in  this  room  ?  Say  you  like  the 
surroundings,  anything — 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

[Nodding  "  yes/'~\  Ready,  Mrs.  Beckman  ? 
I'm  going  too.  I  advise  leaving  Philip  here  on 
the  couch.  He  seems  a  bit  drowsy,  and  I'll  look 
in  on  him  again  after  temple. 

MRS.   BECKMAN 

[As  she  kisses  PHILIP  lovingly.']  Very  well, 
Doctor.  Molly,  you  will  take  the  best  of  care  of 
my  darling  ? 


68  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

BELLA 

Hurry,  dear,  I  fear  we  have  already  missed 
the  opening  hymn  !  You  don't  know  how  much 
I  love  going  to  the  temple.  I  look  forward  to 
it  all  week. 

DOCTOR  SLESINGER 

I  too.  And  I  am  particularly  fond  of  this 
holiday.  Come,  Mrs.  Beckman,  we're  waiting. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Reluctantly,  at  the  door.~\  Good-by,  darling ! 
Mother  will  be  home  soon. 

PHILIP 

[Droopingly '.]     By — by — 

[They  all  exit. 
MOLLY 

[Bustling  around,  lowering  lights,  fire,  etc.] 
By-baby  bunting,  mother's  gone  a — 

PHILIP 
[Disgustedly.^     Aw,  I'm  no  girl-boy ! 

MOLLY 

My  darling,  Nursie  will  get  you  some  more 
chocolate  cake. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  69 

PHILIP 

[Lying  down,   disgustedly.^      O,   everybody 

makes  such  a  baby  out  of  me .     I  wish  I 

could  play  Buffalo  Bill  or  Jesse  James  or — 

MOLLY 

Klotchly-klotchly !  Where  does  he  hear  such 
talk  ? 

PHILIP 

[Burying  his  head  in  the  pillow.^  If  I.  can't 
do  anything  else,  I'll  go  to  sleep  and  dream  of 
them. 

MOLLY 

Puckie,  old  M oily '11  fix  you  nice. 

[She  covers  him  up.  He  sinks  into  a 
restless  sleep.  MOLLY  gets  out  her 
knitting,  and  sits  before  the  fire.  In 
a  little  while  she  too  dozes,  and  soon 
sinks  into  a  deep  sleep.  Shortly 
afterwards,  HARRY,  Louis,  SAMMY, 
HERBIK,  CHARLIE,  MARK,  ERNEST, 
and  BERNIE  steal  in  quietly.  They 
wear  heavy  overcoats,  scarcely  conceal- 
ing costumes  beneath. 


70  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

HARRY 

[Whispering.'}  Think  it's  all  right,  fellows? 
Miss  Bella,  she  made  me  promise  to  go  ahead 
whatever  happened. 

Louis 

Sure — but,  look,  he's  asleep !  And  his  nurse 
too — a  big  boy  like  him  to  have  a  nurse  ! 

SAMMY 

'Tain't  his  fault.  He'd  like  to  play  with  us 
— it's  his  ma.  Why,  she  don't  even  let  him  go  to 
Sunday  school  to  his  dear  Aunt  Bella! 

HERBIE 

You  better  not  talk  about  Miss  Bella !  I  think 
she's  great ! 

CHARLIE 

You  ain't  the  only  one.  Why'd  we  come  here 
to-night,  if  it  wasn't  for  her  ? 

MARK 

Let's  get  started.  You  fellows  know  your 
parts  ?  I'm  not  so  dead  sure  about  mine. 


A  MACCABBAN  CURE  71 

ERNEST 

[Braggingly. .]     I  could  say  mine  backwards 
—in  the  middle  of  the  night. 

BERNIE 
You've  got  a  cinch  part. 

Louis 

I  don't  know;  I'd  rather  be  anybody  than  old 
Antiochus.     Wasn't  he  fierce? 

SAMMY 

{Proudly, .]     Judas  puts  an  end  to  him  all 
right.    Come,  boys,  let's  start  up. 

[They  take  off  their  overcoats  quietly, 
disclosing  SAMMY  as  ANTIOCHUS  in 
kingly  robes,  HARRY  as  MENELAUS,  the 
high  priest,  and  the  other  boys  in  the 
worn,  ragged  costumes  of  the  Macca- 
bees. 

MARK 

Isn't  it  awful  to  have  to  act  here  without 
scenery  ?    It's  going  to  be  simply  grand  in  Sun- 
day school.      [Announcing  dramatically."] 
First    Scene :     Jerusalem,    "  Menelaus    and 
Antiochus." 


72  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

Second  Scene:    Modin,  "  Mattatliias  and  His 

Five  Sons." 
Third  Scene :    Tabae,  "  Death-bod  of  Antio- 

chns." 

BERNIE 

[Longingly.]  I  wish  I  was  Judas!  He's 
got  'em  all  beat  a  mile. 

PHILIP 

'[Sitting  up  suddenly.]  1  can't  keep  quiet  any 
longer!  Say,  what's  all  this?  [Looks  at 
MOLLY.  ]  She'll  be  awake  in  a  minute,  and 
that'll  be  the  end.  Let's  take  her  into  the  next 
room.  You  help,  boys,  and  it'll  be  easy. 

Louis 
Who  wants  a  nurse  anyway  ? 

[They  all  together  lift  the  chair  deftly 
and  easily,  and  in  a  minute  have 
hustled  MOLLY,  still  sleeping,  into  the 
next  room. 

PHILIP 

[Running  back  to  the  sofa,  delightedly.]  Do 
hurry,  boys,  because  mamma'll  be  home  any 
minute,  and  that'll  be  the  end  of  it  all. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  73 

HARRY 

All  right,  we'll  hustle.  We're  only  glad  you'll 
let  us.  See,  we  got  to  get  this  play  in  shape  by 
Sunday,  and  nobody's  got  a  house  big  enough  to 
practice  in. 

[They  look  at  each  other  sheepishly,  as 
if  anxious  to  keep  a  secret. 

PHILIP 

O,  I'm  crazy  to  see  the  play.  I  don't  think 
mamma  would  take  me. 

CHARLIE 

Come,  fellows,  you're  out  of  the  first  part. 
Just  Harry  and  Sammy.  Curtain  rises  on  them, 
you  know. 

PHILIP 

You  can  wait  in  the  next  room,  if  you  want 
to,  till  your  turn. 

BERNIE 

No,  sir,  we  can't  afford  to  miss  a  word. 

[They  all  group  themselves  around 
PHILIP  OTi  the  couch,  while  HARRY  and 
SAMMY  take  their  positions,  center 
stage. 


74  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

KING  ANTIOCHUS  (Sammy') 

[SAMMY  sitting  stiffly  on  a  high-backed  chair, 
MENELAUS  bowing  before  him.']  Come  hither, 
Menelaus,  I  would  confer  with  thee  anent  the 
Judeans. 

MENELAUS  (Harry') 

I  pray,  your  Majesty,  I  would  not  trouble 
your  Highness  with  the  errors  of  your  unfaith- 
ful subjects. 

ANTIOCHUS 

[Angrily. ,]  Unfaithful  again,  you  say? 
There  shall  be  an  end  to  them.  I  have  enough 
of  this  treason. 

MENELAUS 
Yes,  your  Majesty,  they  mock  and  scoff  at  you ! 

ANTIOCHUS 

They  mock  at  me,  you  say?  They  preach 
rebellion  from  Jerusalem?  [Strutting  up  and 
down.']  I  shall  teach  them  a  pretty  lesson.  I 
shall  pour  the  blood  of  unclean  animals  upon 
their  altars  and  their  sacred  vessels ! 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  76 

MENELAUS 

[Rubbing  his  hands  gleefully. ~\  But  no! 
Deliver  them  to  me,  your  Majesty.  I  shall  make 
them  give  up  their  Torah,  their  Jewish  rites  and 
customs.  Your  Majesty,  they  mock  at  me  too. 
I  hate  them  as  much  as  you  do. 

ANTIOCHUS 

But  I  can  trust  you,  Menelaus  ?  Many  dogs 
of  Jews  have  betrayed  their  kings  before  now. 

MENELAUS 

Did  I  not  steal  the  treasures  of  the  temple 
for  your  Majesty  ?  Have  I  not  already  delivered 
your  enemies  into  your  hands,  the  Hasidim  and 
the  Judeans  ?  And  to-day  I  have  a  most  elabor- 
ate plan — 

ANTIOCHUS 

[Sitting  in  pensive  thought.^  AVhat  is  it, 
Menelaus  ?  Nothing  can  be  too  violent  for  these 
traitors.  My  wish  is  to  exterminate  them,  to 
wipe  them  out  completely.  My  mercenaries 
await  my  word,  my  troops  will  go  over  the  king- 
dom destroying  the  infidels. 


76  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

MENELAUS 

[Cunningly. ]  Ah,  your  Majesty!  But  why 
destroy  them,  when  we  can  make  of  them  good 
Greek  subjects  ?  They  will  not  give  up  their 
lives  for  their  religion.  You  have  merely  to  send 
your  soldiers  with  the  torch  to  their  homes ;  you 
will  soon  see  them  give  up  their  faith. 

ANTIOCHUS 

Would  that  I  could  believe  you  !  But  you  are 
high  priest,  priest  of  the  temple  in  Jerusalem. 
Why  should  I  believe  that  you  would  truly 
change  the  religion  of  your  followers?  Most 
probably  you  will  deliver  me  over  to  them. 

MENELAUS 

Ah!  But,  your  Majesty,  I  desire  to  be  high 
priest  in  the  temple  of  the  Greeks,  and  have 
hundreds,  nay,  thousands  of  followers.  Give  me 
the  power  to  command  your  mercenaries,  and  in 
one  month  I  shall  have  every  Jew  in  your  king- 
dom a  good  and  loyal  Greek. 

ANTIOCHUS 

[Extending  his  scepter.^  I  give  you  the 
power,  Menelaus.  Your  life  will  be  the  forfeit, 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  77 

if  I  find  that  you  commit  any  act  of  treachery 
and  betray  me  to  my  enemies.  The  wicked  Jews 
shall  be  made  to  bow  before  the  great  god  Zeus. 
Their  homes  shall  be  ransacked,  their  temple 
destroyed,  yea,  even  their  Holy  of  holies  shall 
reek  with  the  fat  of  swine.  And  you,  Menelaus, 
you  shall  do  it,  you  the  councillor,  the  friend,  the 
help  of  Antiochus,  shall  become  the  high  priest 
of  the  Greeks ! 

MENELAUS 

[Dropping  upon  one  knee.]  Your  Majesty,  I 
thank  you  !  Once  again  I  shall  have  the  chance 
to  serve  you.  Once  again  I  shall  taste  power 
and  glory !  And  [rising]  the  temple  of  the  god 
Zous  shall  be  crowded,  the  throng  of  Jews  shall 
not  worship  the  Almighty.  I  shall  see  their  faces 
respond  to  the  call  of  our  trumpets.  Judaism 
shall  perish,  and  Antiochus  shall  be  king  of  the 
world. 

ANTIOCHUS 

And  Menelaus  his  prime  minister!  [Laying 
his  hand  upon  his  shoulder.']  One  word  I  would 
sav  to  thee — beware  of  Judas ! 


[Fiercely.] 
moneans ! 


78  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

SAMMY 

[Taking  off  his  crown,  and  going  over  to  the 
boys.']  I  guess  I  didn't  do  a  thing  to  those  lines. 
Didn't  know  I  could  do  'em  so  well  myself. 

PHILIP 

[Wistfully. ~\  It  was  grand  !  If  I  could  only 
be  in  it!  Is  Antiochus  really  going  to  do  all 
that  to  the  poor  Jews  ? 

HARRY 

[Laughing.']  !N"o,  no!  It's  all  a  play,  but 
[seriously']  it  was  much  worse  than  that.  We 
kids  ought  to  be  mighty  glad  we  didn't  live  in 
those  days. 

CHARLIE 

[Rising  proudly.  ]  Wait  till  you  see  my  part ! 
I'm  the  hero  !  I'm  Judas!  I'm  the  whole  show ! 
Say,  Phil,  do  you  know  your  mamma  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  people  are  at  temple  to-night  just 
because  of  what  I  did  thousands  of  years  ago  ? 

HERBIE 

[Putting  on  a  white  wig.]  Well,  I  like  that! 
Don't  you  think  Mattathias  had  some  little  thing 
to  do  with  it  ? 


79 


MARK 

And  I  may  be  only  Simon,  but  I  helped  too. 
1  guess  we'd  all  better  get  a  move  on,  or  the 
Hamikkah  services  will  be  over! 

[HEEBIE,  MARK,  ERNEST,  Louis,  and 
BERNIE  all  go  to  stage  center.  HERBIE, 
weak  and  faltering,  s-its  in  the  chair, 
while  the  others,  except  CHARLIE, 
group  themselves  about.  CHARLIE 
waits  a  little  to  one  side. 

MATTATHIAS  (Herbie) 

Alas,  iny  sons  !  We  have  fallen  upon  troublous 
times!  The  hand  of  the  betrayer  is  turned 
against  us.  You  must  avenge  the  God  of  your 
fathers. 

SIMON  (Mark) 

But,  alas,  we  have  no  armies !  You,  our 
fathers,  have  spent  your  strength.  The  hand  of 
Menelaus,  the  high  priest,  is  turned  against  us, 
we  dare  not  worship  in  the  temple. 

JOHANAN  (Ernest) 

It  is  only  yesterday  that  Lysias  himself,  once 
a  friend  of  Menelaus,  but  now  flown  to  the  altar 


80  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

for  protection,  was  slain  in  the  house  of  God. 
Alas  !  What  can  we  do  when  our  own  priest  has 
turned  against  us  ? 

ELEAZAR  (Louis) 

And  they  say  in  Jerusalem  that  Menelaus  will 
stop  at  nothing.  He  plans  to  convert  all  the 
Jews  to  the  Greek  religion,  and  Antiochus  has 
promised  to  make  Menelaus  priest  of  his  own 
temple. 

JONATHAN  (Bernie) 

And  they  have  found  out  our  haunts  in  the 
hills.  We  must  seek  new  fighting  grounds.  We 
can  no  longer  fight  from  ambush. 

MATTATIIIAS 

You  must  not  despair,  my  sons.  The  great 
God  of  Israel  watches  over  all  His  children. 
Antiochus  shall  not  conquer  while  Mattathias 
and  his  five  sons  live  to  carry  the  shield  of  the 
Almighty. 

JONATHAN 

Alas,  father,  we  have  no  prophet  in  Israel ! 
If  we  but  had  an  Isaiah  among  us!  Then  \vc 
could  rejoice  and  be  stout  of  heart. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  81 

MATTATHIAS 

I  Rising  and  speaking  in  a  trembling  voice.~\ 
And  do  you  despair,  my  sons,  because  Isaiah  is 
dead  ?  I  will  get  you  the  word  of  another, 
another  prophet  in  Israel,  a  man  who  has  fore- 
seen not  only  our  present  but  our  future:  who 
sees,  as  in  a  dream,  our  sufferings,  our  torture, 

our  final  triumph [He  opens  his  worn,  old 

coat  carefully  and  extracts  a  treasured  volume.^ 
This  is  the  Book  of  Daniel,  inspired  by  the  Lord 
and  animated  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  Herein 
doth  the  wise  man  rejoice  and  foresee  the 
triumph  of  Israel. 

SIMON 

[Reaching  out  his  hand  for  it  eagerly.  ] 
Would  you  entrust  it  to  me,  father  ?  If  we  could 
only  read  it  to  our  people,  perhaps  on  a  night 
before  we  go  to  battle,  I  am  sure  it  will  lead  us 
to  victory. 

ELEAZAR 

[Gloomily.^  Alas!  Yes,  I  fear  Israel  has 
fallen  on  evil  times. 

MATTATHIAS 

My  sons,  my  sons !    You  must  not  speak  like 
this.     The  God  of  Israel  f  ainteth  not,  nor  is  He 
weary. 
6 


82  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

JUDAS  (Charlie) 

[Rushing  in  elated^]  Courage!  Hope,  my 
brothers — praised  be  the  God  of  Israel ! 

MATTATHIAS 

[Embracing  him.~\  Judas,  my  son — the 
leader  of  his  people.  My  children,  you  bear  wit- 
ness that  this  day  I  call  Judas  the  leader  of  his 
people. 

JUDAS 
[Bowing  his  head.~\    Father,  I  thank  you ! 

MATTATHIAS 

Judas,  in  your  veins  flows  the  blood  of  many 
centuries  of  warriors.  Your  brain  is  filled  with 
fervor,  your  heart  with  faith.  You  alone  can 
lead  Israel  to  victory,  and  the  tramp  of  the  tyrant 
will  go  out  of  the  land  forever ! 

JOHANAN 

[A  bit  protestingly.~]  But,  father,  is  not 
Simon  our  oldest  brother  ? 

MATTATHIAS 

True,  Simon  is  my  first-born,  and  he  has  the 
soul  of  the  wise  man.  Simon  shall  be  your  guide, 
your  adviser,  your  councillor ;  Judas,  your  mili- 
tary leader. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  83 

JUDAS 

But  you,  father,  you  will  be  with  us  many 
years  to  lead  and  guide  us. 

MATTATIIIAS 

[Sinking  exhausted  on  a  chair.']  My  children, 

I  hear  often  the  voice  of  the  spirit.  I  fear  it  will 

not  now  be  many  months  before  I  leave  you. 

Judas,  Simon,  and  the  Book  of  Daniel  must 
sweep  you  on  to  victory. 

JUDAS 

[His  head  high,  his  shoulders  throivn  back.~\ 
\7ictory !  Listen,  rumors  gather  in  the  market- 
place. Menelaus,  not  content  with  waging  war 
against  his  brothers,  would  now  force  them  to 
accept  the  religion  of  the  Greeks.  If  we  do  not 
accept  their  faith,  we  perish ;  already  Antiochus 
has  desecrated  our  altars  and  our  ark.  At  the 
very  entrance  to  their  cave  of  refuge  he  slaugh- 
tered the  Hasidim.  Are  we  cowards  that  we, 
with  red  blood  in  our  veins,  should  suffer  this  to 
continue  ?  What  is  our  life,  our  breath,  our 
naked  strength,  if  not  for  the  conquest  of  our 
enemy?  Should  we  want  to  live  without  our 
religion  ?  the  dear  God  of  our  fathers  ?  T  call 
upon  you,  my  brothers — now  is  the  time — to-day 


84  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

the  very  hour  when  we  should  give  our  breath 
and  strength  and  hope  to  the  conquest  of  the 
tyrant ! 

ALL 

[With  great  fervor.^  We  trust  you,  Judas. 
You  shall  lead  us  to  victory ! 

STMON 

[Holding  up  the  book.~\  Judas  and  the  Book 
of  Daniel ! 

JUDAS 

[Taking  it  eagerly. ]  The  Book  of  Daniel 
— Just  what  my  soldiers  need — Long  have  they 
cried  for  a  prophet  in  Israel — Long  have  they 
thirsted  for  an  inspired  word — With  this  I  can 
strengthen  their  faith  in  the  Almighty ! 

ALL 

[Drawing  their  swords.']  You  lead,  Judas, 
we  follow ! 

MATTATHIAS 

One  word  more !  Beware,  my  sons,  fight  not 
in  the  open.  Seek  the  hills  and  the  secret  hiding- 
places.  Remember  that  you  are  few,  though 
stout  of  heart ;  they  are  many  and  powerful. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  85 

JUDAS 

[Still  inspired.']  Yes,  many  and  powerful! 
But,  father,  the  good  God  must  watch  over  us, 
for  our  secret  places  are  discovered,  our  caves 
and  hiding-places  watched.  From  now  on  we 
must  fight  in  the  open.  A  few  leagues  away  the 
Judeans  await  us — await  our  coming.  Armed 
with  a  greater  faith  than  we  have  ever  had,  they 
must  follow  us  into  the  very  stronghold  of  the 
enemy.  The  Book  of  Daniel  will  light  our  way, 
and  the  good  God  of  Israel  deliver  our  enemy 
into  our  hands. 

ALL 

You  lead !    We  follow ! 

[All  rush  out  with  great  enthusiasm. 

MATTATHIAS 

[Left  alone  with  bowed  head.]  My  sons,  I 
pray  for  yon ! 

PHILIP 

[After  a  few  moments'  silence.']  Oh,  but  that 
was  wonderful !  Charlie,  it  must  be  great  to  be 
Judas.  I  only  wish  that  mamma  would  let  me 
have  a  try. 

CHARLIE 

You  really  liked  it ?  Honest?  T  think  T  was 
pretty  good  myself. 


86  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

PHILIP 

[Eagerly.  ]  Liked  it !  Will  you  let  me  shake 
your  hand  ? 

[CHARLIE  shakes  his  hand  sheepishly. 

HARRY 

But,  Phil,  we've  got  another  scene.  You  wait 
for  that.  I  believe  it's  the  grandest  of  all. 

SAMMY 

Here's  where  old  Antiochus  "  gets  his."  Got 
another  chair  for  me  to  lie  down  on  ? 

PHILIP 

[Eagerly. .]  Take  the  sofa — O,  please,  hurry, 
hurry. 

[They  all  push  the  sofa,  stage  center. 
SAMMY  lies  down  on  it,  HARRY  and 
CHARLIE  wait  a  little  to  the  rear.  The 
rest  group  themselves  about  PHILIP, 
listening  eagerly. 

ANTIOCHUS 

[Lying  on  the  sofa  and  groaning.']  And  I  am 
left  alone  to  die !  Egypt  is  in  ruins,  and  Persia 
desolate.  Gone  is  my  pomp,  my  power,  my 
glory !  My  mercenaries  desert  me,  my  courtiers 
forget  me.  All  Israel  mocks  me.  They  jeer  at 


A  MACCABBAN  CURE  87 

me,  and  rejoice  in  my  defeat.  [Almost  in  de- 
lirium.] Menelaus,  the  traitor,  for  whom  I  have 
done  everything,  even  he  deserts  me  in  the  hour 
of  my  need. 

MENELAUS 

[Enters  hurriedly,  holding  his  arm  as  if 
wounded.]  Alas,  your  Majesty!  I  have  no 
good  news.  The  God  of  Israel  is  triumphant ! 

ANTIOCHUS 

[Resting  on  his  elbow.]  Wait,  you  dog  of  a 
Jew!  You  to  whom  I  have  given  power  and 
wealth  unlimited,  have  you  too  failed  ? 

MENELAUS 

[ With  head  bowed.]  Judas  is  a  mighty  force, 
he  pursues  me  like  death.  Wherever  I  go,  there 
he  is  before  me.  He  is  armed  with  the  power  of 
the  Lord ;  I  cannot  resist  his  onslaughts. 

ANTIOCHUS 

But  did  you  not  destroy  their  temple,  spread 
the  blood  of  swine  upon  their  altars  ?  What  force 
can  they  have  left?  What  is  this  Book  of 
Daniel  ? 

MENELAUS 

[Snarling  with  rage.]  Alas !  it  comes  from 
Mattathias,  the  father  of  the  Hasmoneans.  With 


88  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

Judas  to  lead  them  and  the  Book  to  give  them 
faith,  the  Jews  are  invincible. 

ANTIOCHUS 

Bah!     The  Jews!     The  Jews!     Can  L  never 

'     get  rid  of  them,  wipe  them  out  forever?     My 

armies  advance  against  them,  my  mercenaries 

slaughter  them,  and  still  the  God  of  Israel  lives, 

bah! 

MENELAUS 

[Bowing  his  head  in  despair.  ]     Yes,  the  God 
of  Israel  lives ! 

[ SIMON  steps  forward  quickly  with  the 
transparent  fire-screen,  which  makes 
an  improvised  veil,  behind  which 
Judas  takes  his  station,  and  begins  to 
speak  in  a  low,  sepulchral  voice.  At 
first  ANTIOCHUS  does  not  seem  to  hear. 
Then,  half-frightened,  he  turns  on  his 
elbow,  but  being  crazed  and  half- 
delirious,  he  pictures  Judas  as  the 
voice  of  conscience,  which  in  reality  he 
is.  To  the  dying  man  the  voice  is  but 
a  figment  of  the  brain. 

JUDAS 
The  God  of  Israel  lives — 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  89 

ANTIOCHUS 
The  voice  of  Judas  ?  the  voice  of  Judas — 

[He  crouches  in  fear,  and  MENELAUS 
cowers  at  the  foot  of  the  couch,  he  too 
fearing  to  look  up. 

JUDAS 

[Continuing  as  if  he  had  not  heard.]  The 
God  of  Israel  lives  and  watches  over  all  his  chil- 
dren— watches  and  guards  them  well.  You, 
Menelaus,  the  traitor,  and  you,  Antiochus,  the 
tyrant,  will  be  food  for  the  worms  and  rotting 
under  the  ground  many,  many  years,  while  the 
God  of  Israel  and  His  children  will  continue 
down  into  the  centuries — 

[As  JUDAS  holds  his  sword  aloft,  and 
ANTIOCHUS  and  MENELAUS  crouch  in 
agony,  AUNT  BELLA,  DOCTOR  SLES- 
INGER,  and  MKS.  BECKMAN  stand 
watching  in  the  doorway,  the  last  re- 
strained with  difficulty  by  the  doctor. 
MOLLY  stumbles  into  the  opposite  door, 
rubbing  her  eyes  sleepily.  The  boys 
do  not  notice  them,  but  as  JUDAS  is 
about  to  continue,  PHILIP  rushes  over 
to  him  and  grasps  his  arm  excitedly. 


90  A  MACCABEAN  CURE 

PHILIP 

O,  Judas,  you're  just  wonderful.  I  want  to 
be  a  warrior  too — and  fight  old  Antiochus — 
Please,  please,  won't  you  let  me  help  to  fight  for 
Israel  ? 

CHARLIE 

[Turning  shamefacedly  and  seeing  Miss 
BELLA  in  the  doorway.]  Is  it  all  right,  Miss 
Bella?  May  Phil  help  too  ? 

BELLA 

[Hurrying  over.~\  Does  he  want  to  fight  for 
Israel ? 

MBS.  BECKMAN 

[Hurrying  over.~\  My  poor  darling!  I'm 
sure  all  this  has  heen  too  much  for  you. 

PHILIP 

[Pushing  her  away  excitedly.]  But,  mamma, 
I'm  not  sick.  I  only  want  to  be  a  soldier  and 
fight  the  old  Greeks — another  Judas,  mamma. 

DOCTOE  SLESINGER 

[To  AUNT  BELLA.]  Even  Mrs.  Beckman 
must  see  how  successful  your  prescription  is. 


A  MACCABEAN  CURE  91 

CHARLIE 

[Anxiously,  as  Miss  BELLA  pats  his  'head.'] 
I  did  Judas  just  as  well  as  ever  I  could. 

PHILIP 

Oh,  and  I  do  so  want  to  help  him,  if  you'll  only 
let  me  be  a  Has-mo-ne-an. 

BELLA 
Ask  your  mother,  Philip. 

MRS.  BECKMAN 

[Hesitating,  then  looking  around  at  the  eager 
faces  of  the  little  boys  and  the  glowing  face  of 
little  PHILIP,  as  she  nods  assent.  ]  Another— 

little Judas. 

[The    boys   all   crowd   around,   eagerly 
welcoming  PHILIP. 

CURTAIN 


TO  SAVE  HIS   COUNTRY 


TO  SAVE  HIS    COUNTRY 

CHARACTERS 

ANSELME  KOCH,  a  middle-aged  wine-grower. 

THER&SE,  Ms  wife. 

PHILIPPE,  their  oldest  son,  aged  sixteen. 

MARIE,  their  oldest  daughter,  aged  fifteen. 

ANNETTE  "] 

Louis        I  their  younger  children. 

GASTON 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD,  the  village  shoemaker. 

MAMZELLE  WERTHEIM,  the  village  dressmaker. 

CHICON,  the  village  loafer. 


TO  SAVE  HIS    COUNTRY 

THE  TIME.— About  four-thirty  in  the  after- 
noon before  Pesdh,  April,  1816. 

THE  PLACE.— The  little  village  of  Rochefort 
in  the  southern  part  of  France. 

DISCOVERED  AT  RISE  OF  CURTAIK- 

MOTHEB  KOCH  freshening  a  bit  of  lace  at 
her  throat  the  while  she  superintends  the 
preparing  of  the  Seder  tray  by  MARIE  and 
ANNETTE.  MARIE  is  arranging  water-cress 
next  to  salt-water  or  vinegar;  she  also  places 
an  egg  on  a  plate,  and  adds  the  dish  of 
Haroses,  a  paste  of  almonds,  raisins,  and 
cinnamon  chopped  fine  and  mixed  with 
wine.  MRS.  KOCH  places  a  napkin  on  a 
plate.  The  plate  contains  three  Matzos, 
each  covered  separately.  Horseradish  and 
parsley  are  already  on  the  tray,  and  a  shank- 
bone  of  lamb  is  on  the  table.  Little  GASTON 


96  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

is  on  his  knees  before  the  fire.  The  room 
is  garnished  and  bright;  a  cheerful  fire 
bums  in  the  grate;  the  bits  of  old  silver  and 
pewter  on  the  dresser  glisten  with  a  holiday 
gleam,  and  not  a  crumb  of  either  bread  or 
matzoh  is  to  be  found  about  the  room.  The 
table  is  laid  with  snowy  linen,  center  right; 
places  are  set  for  eleven  or  twelve;  the  two 
added  chairs  for  the  "  stranger."  Wine  and 
matzos  are  on  the  table,  and  a  large  silver 
cup,  "  the  cup  of  Elijah,"  stands  upon  the 
dresser.  Near  at  hand  is  the  Seder  tray, 
and  on  a  hook  near  the  door,  right  next  the 
door-jamb,  hangs  a  wire  "  matzoh  cage."  In 
the  cage  is  a  piece  of  matzoh  from  the  Seder 
of  the  year  before,  a  piece  of  the  Afikomen. 
This  custom  of  the  cage  is  peculiar  to  cer- 
tain parts  of  France  and  Germany;  and  the 
matzos  in  the  cage  are  not  supposed  to  be 
disturbed  from  year  to  year,  until  the 
search  for  leaven  the  night  before  the  Seder 
service. 

MRS.  KOCH 

Cherie,  we  must  hurry.   Only  half  an  hour  till 
the  Pesah  eve,  and  there  is  much  yet  to  be  done. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  97 

MARIE 

[Arranging  the  tray  deftly.]  Je  sais,  maman, 
and  I  try  hard  to  have  everything  so  pretty.  Re- 
member, maman  mignonne,  what  a  wonderful 
Seder  we  had  last  year  ? 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Wiping  a  sudden  tear.]  Ah,  cherie,  do  I 
remember  ?  Shall  I  ever  forget  ?  The  wine — 
all  the  good  things  Sister  Marie  sent  us  ?  And 
my  Philippe — my  big  boy — when  he  stands  and 
drinks  a  toast  to  the  God  of  Israel  and  France- 
shall  I  ever  forget  ? 

MARIE 

[Running  to  comfort  her.]  Do  not,  maman 
mignonne — I  pray  of  you — it  makes  us  all  so  sad 
to  see  you  weep.  I  am  quite,  quite  sure  nothing 
has  happened  to  our  Philippe. 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Still  tearful.]  Alas,  my  pride!  My  first- 
born !  He  sat  there —  [she  points  dramatic- 
ally] right  opposite  me,  all  through  the  Seder 
service.  How  his  beautiful  eye  met  mine !  And 
then,  in  the  night,  he  went  away — just  one  year 
ago  to-night — and  in  all  that  time,  not  one  word. 
7 


98  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MARIE 

[Still  petting  her.]  Maman  mignonne,  do 
not  think  about  it.  The  dear  Lord  will  take  care 
of  him,  I  am  quite  sure. 

MRS.  KOCH 
[Bowing  her  head.]     My  little  boy— 


GASTON 

See  the  big  stick !    It  burn,  it  burn ! 

MARIE 

[Hurrying  to  him.']  And  you  with  it. 
Away!  [As  she  draws  him  from  the  fire  and 
takes  him  to  one  side,  inspecting  him  for  the 
services.]  Now,  Gaston,  run,  wash  your  hands 
— such  a  little  black  boy — and  you,  Annette — 

ANNETTE 

[Holding  aloft  a  piece  of  parsley.]  I  make  a 
big  bouquet 

MARIE 

Yes,  cherie,  but  Annette  must  too  have  pretty 
hands.  IsTow  hurry. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  99 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Pulling  herself  together.]  Chii,  oui,  my 
darlings.  The  Seder,  the  Pesah  eve ! 

Louis 

[Rushing  in  and  waving  an  old  tin  horn.~\ 
O,  maman,  maman,  such  great  big  soldiers. 
Guns  on  top  of  their  arms.  I  feeled  of  one  of 
them ! 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Trying  to  be  stern.]  Come  here,  enfant, 
didn't  maman  tell  you  to  come  right  home  from 
school  ?  So  much  for  my  little  son  to  do !  To- 
morrow there  will  be  no  work  at  all. 

Louis 

But,  maman,  so  many  big  men  in  the  square  ! 
[MRS.  KOCH  is  busy  at  the  table  and  only 
half  hears. 

MARIE 

Come  quick,  Louis,  cheri,  and  let  sister  brush 
your  hair. 

Louis 
[As  he  plunges  his  head  into  the  wash-bowl 


100  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

in  the  corner  of  the  room.]     I  big  enough  to  fix 
it  myself —  [reminiscently]  with  guns! 

MARIE 
[Trying  not  to  smile.~\     Come,  bebe. 

[Brushes  and  combs  ANNETTE'S  hair 
softly. 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Glancing  around  the  room.]  You  think 
everything  is  finished,  Marie  ? 

MARIE 
Just  everything.    Maybe  except  that — 

[Points  to  the  matzoh-cage  hanging  near 
the  door. 

MRS.  KOCH 

Oh,  that !  Papa  surely  did  that  all  last  night 
when  he  went  over  the  house.  Papa  never  for- 
gets any  of  the  places  in  the  hometz-batteln.  I 
wonder  what  is  keeping  papa  ?  Schul  should 
be  over  by  this  time  ! 

[In  looking  about  the  room  she  leaves  a 
plate  of  matzos,  quite  forgetfully,  on  a 
chair  underneath  the  matzoh-cage  and 
near  the  door. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  101 

Louis 

I  saw  papa  [sheepishly].  He  didn't  see  me. 
M'sieu  Cheriot  stopped  him  and  talked  about 
the  frost. 

ANNETTE 
I  want  to  see  the  frost. 

MAKIE 
Hush,  dear,  we  do  not  go  out  on  Erev-Pesah. 

Louis 

Well,  I  wish  nobody  would  come.  We'd  have 
so  much  more  to  eat. 

MAMZELLE  WERTHEIM 

[An  emaciated  old  maid  stands  absorbing  the 
last  words  on  the  threshold.]  Dieu,  Madame 
Koch,  I'd  better  go  right  home. 

MARIE 

[Running  to  her  and  taking  her  shawl.]  O 
Mamzelle,  Louis  is  only  a  little  boy. 

MRS.  KOCH 

[With  dignity.]  You  are  welcome,  Mamzelle. 
Will  you  have  the  seat  near  the  fire  ? 


102  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MAMZELLE 

Fire !  Must  I  be  cold  ?  [She  plumps  down 
on  the  chair  with  the  matzos,  while  the  children 
begin  to  giggle.']  I'm  sorry,  Madame  Koch,  if 
I  seem  to — 

[As  she  rises  quickly. 

MARIE 

[Running  to  brush  up  the  crumbs.']  Never 
mind,  Mamzelle,  you  didn't  see — 

MRS.  KOCH 
Be  sure  to  get  them  all  swept  up,  Marie. 

MARIE 

Of  course,  maman.  And  now,  if  you  will 
only  get  your  fresh  pretty  cap,  everything  will 
be  quite  ready. 

MRS.  KOCH 

[To  MAMZELLE,  who  is  still  standing  stiffly, 

nose  in  air.]     If  you  will  excuse  me,  Mamzelle  ? 

[8he  exits  into  the  next  room. 

MAMZELLE 

[Running  to  the  table  and  peering  at  the 
food.]  Not  near  so  much  as  last  year ! 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  103 

MARIE 

Alas,  no !     Crops  have  been  so  bad 


Louis 

[Chiming  in.~\  And  oui,  we  haven't  so  much 
money,  since  Philippe  is  away. 

ANNETTE 

[Quite  unexpectedly.^  And  Aunt  Marie,  she 
forget  all  about  us — no  presents  at  all. 

MAMZEI/LE 

What  I  always  say :  "  When  you're  down, 
you're  down." 

MARIE 

O,  no,  Marnzelle.  You  mustn't  think  Aunt 
Marie  has  forgotten  us. '  She  has  just  a  little 
superstition.  So  much  she  sent  us  last  year — 
a  lovely  Seder  basket — and  that  night  Philippe 
went  away.  I  think  Aunt  Marie  a  little  bit 
blames  herself. 

MAMZELLE 

[Sharply.']  I'd  like  to  know  what  that  has  to 
do  with  it.  I  was  here  that  night  too.  You 
might  as  well  accuse  me. 


104  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MARIE 

You  don't  understand,  Mamzelle.  Aunt 
Marie  believes  that  Philippe  knew  she  would  al- 
ways do  so  much  for  us — he  didn't  worry  so 
about  leaving. 

MAMZELLE 

[In  a  tone  of  finality.]  You  forget.  Philippe 
always  was  headstrong,  and  headstrong  is  head- 
strong, say  I,  right  up  to  the  end. 

MARIE 

[Deeply  hurt.]  O  Mamzelle,  Philippe  is  an 
angel! 

MAMZELLE 

[Sniffing  contemptuously.]  An  angel  that 
wanted  to  try  his  wings  in  a  big,  bad  city. 

MARIE 

[Pleadingly.]  Dear  Mamzelle,  I  beg  of  you, 
do  not  mention  Philippe  to-night.  You  may  say 
all  you  want  to  me,  but  before  maman — 

[Pauses  as  MRS.   KOCH  enters  slowly, 
smoothing  a  pretty  lace  cap. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  105 

MAMZELLE 

[Sniffling.]  And  so  I'm  to  keep  my  mouth 
closed  ? 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Softly.']  What  is  it,  Mamzelle?  1  hope 
Marie  has  said  nothing  to  hurt  you  ? 

MAEIE 

[Hastily.]  My  little  maman,  she  look  so 
eharmant.  If  papa  would  only  come !  Every- 
thing is  ready. 

[She  holds  up  the  Seder  platter  to  prove 
her  skill  in  decoration. 

ANNETTE 

[Reaching  up  her  little  hands  for  it.]     I'm  so 
hungry- 
Louis 
Bebe— 

MAMZELLE 
[Sweetly.]     Children  and  fools,  you  know. 

ANSELME  KOCH 

[A  little  middle-aged  man  hurries  in,  dressed 
in  his  Shabbes  clothes.  He  walks  with  a  cane 


106  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

and  is  very  busy  chatting  to  M'SIEU  ROTHS- 
CHILD.] I  am  sorry,  Therese  dear,  I've  kept 
you  waiting. 

MRS.  KOCH 

Waiting  only  for  you!  Go,  Anselme  dear, 
and  bring  the  Haggodah.  Hurry,  or  we  shall  be 
late  with  the  Seder. 

ANSELME 

[Hurrying  into  the  next  room,  after  he  has 
pinched  little  Louis'  ruddy  cheeks.]  I  will,  my 
dear,  in  a  haste — in  a  haste. 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 

[Bowing  low  to  MRS.  KOCH.]  Bon  soir, 
Madame  Koch.  It  is  so  good  of  you  to  ask  me 
to  the  Seder.  I  always  say,  what  with  no  Rabbi 
in  Rochefort  and  no  Pesah  services,  one  could 
easily  forget  his  devotions,  were  it  not  for  good 
Madame  Koch.  Aren't  you  happy  to  be  here, 
Mamzelle  Wertheim  ? 

[MRS.  KOCH  meanwhile  has  been  shak- 
ing his  hand  and  making  him  welcome. 

MAMZELLE 

[Sniffling.']  Of  course.  Isn't  it  only  a  Pesah 
that  makes  you  know  I'm  alive  ? 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  107 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 

[Gallantly.']  A  shoemaker  must  stick  to  his 
last,  you  know ;  and  the  shoes  around  Rochef  ort 
give  me  little  time  for  the  ladies,  alas ! 

MAMZELLE 

[Sighing."]  Wish  I  could  say  the  same  for 
the  dresses. 

MARIE 

[Quickly^]  But  to-night  is  the  night  when  we 
have  no  troubles,  is  it  not,  maman  ? 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Petting  MARIE.]  Oui,  mignonne.  [To  the 
others.']  Haven't  I  a  little  comfort? 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
[Gallantly.']     A  little  darling,  I  should  say. 

MARIE 

[Embarrassed,  begins  to  count  the  chairs.^ 
Let  us  see.  One,  two,  three — come,  cheris. 
you're  to  sit  next  to  sister,  and —  [slyly~\  you, 
Mamzelle  Wertheim,  next  to  M'sieu  Rothschild, 
unless  you  object? 


108  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MAMZELLE  WERTHEIM 

[Grudgingly.]  Perhaps  I  can  endure  it — 
once  a  year. 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
[Edging  nearer  to  her.~\     I  could,  oftener. 

MRS.  KOCH 

Have  we  surely  enough  places,  Marie — same 
as  last  year  ?  Ah,  no,  Chicon  is  not  here,  nor — 
nor  Philippe — 

MARIE 

[Hurriedly.]  But  I  have  two  extra  places, 
maman — for  the  stranger,  you  know. 

CHICON 

[.4  good-natured  fat  boy,  the  village  loafer, 
comes  lounging  in  at  the  door.]  A-ha,  Miss 
Marie,  and  a  good  heart  she  has.  She  don't  for- 
get her  old  Chicon ! 

MARIE 

[Hastening  to  him,  followed  by  the  children, 
who  climb  over  him  with  great  affection.] 
Welcome,  Chicon.  I  knew  he  would  come. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  109 

ANNETTE 

[Clambering  into  his  pockets.]  Pesah  candies, 
Chicon  ? 

GASTON 
But  where's  onr  doggie-woggie,  Chicon  ? 

CHICON 

[Emptying  his  pockets  of  candy. ,]  You  think 
your  old  Chicon  forget  you  ?  But  he  cannot 
bring  his  old  Napoleon  to  a  Seder  service. 

MAMZELLE 

[Horrified.']  You  call  your  beast — Napo- 
leon. 

CHICON 

[As  he  makes  a  deep  bow  and  flourishes  his 
ragged  cap.]  My  emperor,  and  my  faithful 
dog — my  two  dear  ones!  Vive  Napoleon! 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 

[Echoing  with  great  feeling.]  Vive  Napo- 
leon ! 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Entering  quickly  with  outstretched  hand.] 
Welcome,  Chicon — happy  to  see  you !  Seder 
would  not  be  Seder  without  you.  Coine,  my 


110  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

guests !    Therese,  Marie,  it  is  time  for  our  serv- 
ices. 

[All  gather  around  the  table  and  take 
the  places  assigned  to  them.     FATHER 
KOCH  repeats  the  Kiddush,  or  Sancti- 
fication.   Then  FATHER  KOCH  says: 
"  This  is  the  bread  of  affliction  which  our 
ancestors  ate  in  the  land  of  Egypt:  let  all  who 
are  hungry,  enter  and  eat  thereof." 

GASTON 

"  Why  is  this  night  distinguished  from  all 
other  nights  ?  " 

FATHER  KOCH 

"  Because  in  Egypt  we  were  slaves  unto 
Pharaoh;  and  the  Lord,  our  God,  delivered  us 
with  a  strong  hand." 

[The  order  of  the  service  follows,  the 
stage  director  may  use  as  much  or  as 
little  as  he  sees  fit  or  thinks  is  con- 
sistent with  dramatic  action:  Narra- 
tion of  the  story  of  Passover;  Dayenu; 
breaking  the  unleavened  bread;  eating 
the  bitter  herb  with  Haroses;  eating 
bitter  herbs  and  matzoh;  Seder  tray 
is  removed;  serving  the  meal. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  111 

ANNETTE 

[As  the  first  course  of  hard-boiled  eggs  is 
passed.~\  O — h!  I  love  hard-boiled  eggs! 

GASTON 
Why  don't  we  have  Pesah  oftener  ? 

CHICON 

If  I  had  anything  to  say,  it  would  be  every 
day. 

Louis 
[Helping  himself.']     As  good  as  a  picnic ! 

MAMZELLE 

[Aside.~\     Little  gluttons ! 

CHICON 

[Catching  her  up.~\  Big  ones,  too!  [As  the 
Matzoh-Klos  reach  him.']  And  always  will  be 
while  there  are  Matzoh-Klos.  [Poising  one  on  a 
fork."] 

FATHER  KOCH 
I  am  ready,  Marie. 

[MARIE  brings  the  Seder  tray,  and 
FATHER  KOCH  says  grace,  at  least  one 
verse. 


112  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MARIE 

[Handing  her  father  a  silver  cup.~\  Here  is 
Elijah's  cup,  father. 

Louis 

[As  he  watches  his  father  filling  the  cup.] 
Father,  let  me  open  the  door ! 

[Runs  to  open  it. 

FATHER  KOCH 

Open  it  wider,  my  son,  so  that  the  wanderer 
may  see  our  light  and  enter. 

MRS.  KOCH 
M'sieu,  will  you  lead  the  Hallel  ? 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
Gladly! 

[Sings  Hodu  la-Adonoi  with  the  tradi- 
tional Passover  melody,  the  others 
joining  in. 

MAMZELLE 

[As  soon  as  they  have  finished  and  are  sitting 
carelessly  around  the  table.]  Where  is  your 
wanderer,  Father  Koch  ?  Have  yon  never  heard 
from  Philippe  ? 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  113 

MARIE 
[Anxiously.]     O  —  oh!  Mamzelle  — 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Devoutly.]     My  son  is  safe  in  the  keeping 
of  the  Almiht. 


[Not  to  be  deflected.]  JBut  isn't  it  strange 
that  he  should  never  write  at  all  ? 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 

[Kindly.]  You  may  depend  upon  it,  Koch, 
the  boy  has  some  good  reason  of  his  own. 

MARIE 
Whatever  it  is,  it's  good. 

CHI  CON 

Ah,  the  boy  had  the  big  desire,  the  great  desire 
—  to  see  the  large  world  outside  of  little  Roche- 
fort. 

MAMZELI.E 

And  so  he  couldn't  write— 
8 


114  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

FATHER  KOCH 

[  With  head  bowed.']  I  beg  of  you,  don't  speak 
of  him ;  he  has  broken  my  heart. 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Comfortingly.^  Mais  oui,  Anselme,  all  will 
come  right,  Philippe  is  but  a  boy.  I  remember 
as  it  was  yesterday — how  he  poured  the  wine. 

MAMZEI/LE 

[Under  her  breath  somewhat.^  Oui,  oui — 
and  how  he  drank  the  wine  ! 

FATHER  KOCH 
[Head  still  bowed.']    My  boy !    My  boy ! 

CHICON 

[Angrily  to  Mamzelle.~\  Nonsense,  the  boy 
was  a  fine  boy !  Everybody  must  sweep  before 
his  own  door ! 

M'siEu  ROTHSCHILD 

I  stake  my  whole  reputation:  Philippe  has 
never  done  a  bad  thing  in  his  little  life. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  115 

Louis 

[Overcome  with  the  thought  of  what  he  did 
to-day.]  I  was  bad,  I  was.  I  watched  the 
soldiers  in  the  square. 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Interested.]  Did  you  say  soldiers,  Louis, 
soldiers  ?  I  heard  nothing  of  them. 

MRS.  KOCH 

But,  Anselme,  we  are  forgetting  the  Afikomen. 
You  did  forget  it,  not  so  ?  I  mean  the  piece  you 
always  put  in  the  matzoh-cage — the  piece  for 
next  year. 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Contritely.]  You  are  right,  Therese,  I  did 
forget. 

Louis 

[Excitedly.  ]  May  I  lift  down  the  matzoh- 
cage  ? 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Smiling.]  Yes,  or  there  will  be  no  more 
Afikomen  to  put  in. 

Louis 

[As  he  lifts  down  the  cage.]  O,  look,  it  is  all 
old  and  crumbly ! 


116  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Horr  or  struck.  ~\  I  must  have  forgotten  it, 
Therese.  How  came  that  ?  when  I  was  searching 
the  house  last  night. 

MRS.  KOCH 
Are  you  sure,  father,  you  forgot  ? 

FATHER  KOCH 

\_As  he  takes  the  little  cage,J\  But  oui,  I  sup- 
pose my  mind  was,  as  ahvays,  on  the  last  Seder 
and  Philippe  rather  than  on  the  search  and  the 
hometz-batteln.  [As  he  opens  the  matzoh-cage.^ 
But  look  ;  here  is  a  letter. 


MRS.  KOCH 

[Hand  over  her  heart.^     Perhaps  it  is  from 
-  and   we  haven't  opened  that  cage  since 


last  Seder. 

FATHER  KOCH 
[His  hand  trembling.  ~\    You  read  it.     I  can't. 

MRS.  KOCH 
I  cannot  either,  my  dear  one,  I  cannot. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  117 

MARIE 
Give  it  to  me,  dear  father.    I  shall  read  it— 

[Opens  and  reads  a  worn,  old  piece  of 
paper,  while  all  listen  in  strained 
silence. 

My  Dearest  Ones: 

To-night,  this  Pesah  night,  I  leave  you.  I  go 
to  fight  for  my  country.  I  could  not  tell  you, 
my  dear  parents,  I  could  not  bear  to  see  the 
grief  upon  your  faces.  My  emperor  has  called 
me,  and  I  go.  I  will  come  back  when  my  country 
has  no  more  need  of  me.  Remember  that  I  fight 
for  you.  Yours  in  love  forever, 

PHILIPPE. 

[A  few  moments  of  awestruck  silence,  then — 

MARIE 

[Clasping  her  hand.~\  I  felt  it!  I  felt  it! 
My  big  brother  gone  to  fight  for  his  country ! 

Louis 

[With  awe.~]  And  a  real  gun  on  his  shoul- 
der— 

ANNETTE 
Will  he  be  shooted — dead  ? 


118  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MRS.  KOCH 

[Covering  her  face.~\  My  boy!  Perhaps  on 
a  battlefield ! 

M'SIEU    EOTHSCHILD 

Would  to  Heaven  I  could  so  serve  my  country ! 

MAMZELLE 
[Drily.  ]    Well,  he  always  did  like  fighting. 

CHICON 

[Wildly. ]  The  greatest  fight  in  all  the  world 
—the  fight  for  his  country ! 

MRS.  KOCH 

If  we  had  only  once  touched  the  matzoh-cage 
during  the  year — or  even  you,  yesterday — then 
should  we  have  known — 

CHICON 

[Wisely, ,]  And  then  would  you  have  wor- 
ried, every  day,  every  minute,  all  the  long  year. 

FATHER  KOCH 

"  The  Lord  is  good,  His  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  His  works." 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  119 

MARIE 

[Peering  out  towards  the  door.]  Away  out 
there,  in  dust  and  smoke  and  battle ;  fighting  like 
the  great,  brave  heart  he  is — fighting  for  his 
country [She  stands  transfixed  with  rap- 
ture as  PHILIPPE  approaches  quietly  and  stands 
silent  in  the  doorway.  He  is  worn  and  travel- 
stained  and  carries  a  musket,  whose  weight  at 
times  causes  him  to  limp.  The  company  stare 
transfixed,  except  MAKIE,  who  rushes  to  him  and 
falls  into  his  arms.]  Philippe — 

PHILIPPE 

My  sister [As  soon  as  they  have  fin- 
ished a  warm  embrace,  he  hurries  to  his  mother 
and  father.]  Mother !  dear  mother !  Father! 
[All  embrace  eagerly.]  Dear  friends! 

Louis 

[Excitedly  feeling  his  gun.]  He  has  a  gun ! 
He  has  a  gun !  Just  like  I  saw  in  the  square 
to-day. 

PHILIPPE 

[Hugging  him.]  Ah,  you  saw  them! 
[Proudly.]  T  belonged  to  them.  Only  they  got 
here  before  me.  [Looking  at  the  table  joyfully.] 


120  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

And   my  place   at  the   Seder  table!      I   have 
tramped  miles  and  miles  to  reach  here  to-night. 

MAMZELLE 
[Sniffling.']    But  just  too  late  for  Seder ! 

CHICON 

[Petting  him.~\  But  not  too  late  for  us, 
Philippe.  Rochefort  has  not  been  Rochefort 
without  you ! 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 

[Impressively.']  We  are  very  proud  to  claim 
you,  Philippe  Koch. 

MOTHER  KOCH 

[Anxioiisly.]  Until  to-night,  until  this 
moment,  my  Philippe,  we  did  not  know  where 
you  had  gone.  We  thought  perhaps  you  had — 

MAMZELLE 
[Sharply.']     —run  away. 

PHILIPPE 
You  did  not  get  my  letter  in  the  matzoh-cage  ? 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  121 

MAMZELLE 

[Still  sharply.  ]  You  knew  they  touch  it  only 
once  a  year. 

PHILIPPE 

[Turning  from  her  to  his  mother.']  I  did  not 
want  you  to  find  it  right  away,  dear  mother.  1 
did  not  want  you  to  worry—  -  [Pause.']  I  left 
a  prayer  with  God  that  you  might  find  it  soon 
afterwards. 

MOTHER  KOCH 

[Sadly. ]  Ah!  No,  we  did  not  We  heard 
nothing  from  you,  my  boy,  all  the  long  year. 

FATHER  KOCH 

[As  his  eye  takes  him  in  lovingly^]  My  son  ! 
My  little  boy ! 

MARIE 
Not  a  line,  Philippe;  not  a  word. 

PHILIPPE 

[Grasping  her  hand.~\  But  you  will  under- 
stand, dear  sister,  when  I  tell  you  I  was  in  a 
place  where  I  couldn't  write,  [with  great  im- 
pressiveness~\  the  Island  of  Elba. 


122  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

ALL 

[Thunderstruck.]     Elba! 

PHILIPPE 

[Slowly,  as  he  lifts  a  glass  of  wine.]  Yes, 
with  my  emperor,  my  hero,  my  Napoleon  ! 

ALL 
[With  hushed,  awestruck  voices.]   Bonaparte ! 

CHICON 

[Rubbing  his  hands  in  great  excitement.] 
Tell  us  about  it,  Philippe,  all  about  it — your  old 
Chicon. 

PHILIPPE 

[Looking  around  at  the  rapt  faces.]  Every- 
thing ? 

CHICON 

[As  they  nod  in  assent.]  Everything!  Oh 
that  I  should  live  to  hear  this  tale !  [He  rubs 
PHILIPPE'S  coat  sleeve  reverently.]  He  has 
been  with  our  emperor. 

MAMZELLE 
[Sniffling.]    A  camp  follower  most  likely. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  123 

FATHER  KOCH 

[Glaring  at  'her.'}  Mamzelle,  you  forget  your- 
self. 

[Only  his  hospitality  prevents  him  from 
asking  her  to  leave. 

MARIE 

[Adoringly.']  Please,  hurry,  Philippe.  I 
can't  wait. 

PHILIPPE 

[Slumps,  tired,  into  a  chair.  His  gun  falls  to 
the  floor  with  a  clatter;  little  Louis  runs  to  pick 
it  up  and  hands  it  back,  adoringly.]  I'm  dead- 
tired. 

MOTHER  KOCH 

[Handing  him  bread  and  wine,  which  he  eats 
at  intervals  ivhile  he  talks.]  Dear  Philippe 

PHILIPPE 

[Inspired  by  the  eager  faces  around  him, 
especially  CHICON'S.]  You  remember  last  Seder 
night — all  of  you  ? 

ALL 
[Eagerly.]     Yes,  yes. 


124  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

PHILIPPE 

You  remember  our  sorrow  over  the  abdication 
of  our  emperor '( 

ALT, 
Ah,  oui. 

PHILIPPE 

How,  on  the  sixth  of  April,  he  had  signed  the 
paper  at  Fontainebleau — the  paper  in  which  he 
forever  resigned  his  right  to  be  emperor  of 
France  ?  You  remember  our  sorrow,  our  grief  ? 

ALL 
Ah,  oui. 

PHILIPPE 

How  we  all  mourned  him,  the  great  man ! 
Who  had  given  his  life — his  strength  !  Who  had 
made  France  feared  before  the  nations !  Who 
had  conquered  Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  only 
to  be  conquered  at  last  by  his  own  people ! 

FATHER  KOCH 
Alas !    Too  true. 

PHILIPPE 

You  remember  how  he  said  on  the  roadside  at 
Passy,  in  the  dead  of  night:  "  If  they  had 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  125 

showed  ecmrage  bat  two  hours  longer,  we  might 
still  have  saved  France?  " 

CHI  CON 

[Mournfully.]  Alas!  Yes,  too  late!  France 
was  broken — her  people  in  the  dust. 

PHILIPPE 

[With  greater  enthusiasm.]  "  If  they  had 
showed  spirit  two  hours  longer!  "  That  I  could 
not  forget.  My  emperor !  my  hero  !  Forced  to 
abdicate  because  his  soldiers  could  not  show 
spirit  two  hours  longer ! 

OIIICON 
[  Eagerly.]     So  you  went  to  help  him  '{ 

PHILIPPE 

[Ecstatically.]  Yes,  on  Pesah  night — while 
you  all  slept.  I  went  at  midnight.  I  walked  and 
walked  for  days  and  days.  I  wanted  to  help  my 
emperor,  T  wanted  to  save  France. 

MOTHER  KOCH 

[  Wiping  her  eyes,  as  FATHER  KOCH  pats  her 
on  the  shoulder  in  an  understanding  of  a  boyish 
dream.]  My  little  child  ! 


126  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MAMZELLE 
'[Under  her  breath.']     Little  silly ! 

MARIE 
[Glaring  at  her. ]     My  brave  brother ! 

Louis 

[Anxiously.]    Is  he  fat,  Monsieur  Napoleon  ? 

PHILIPPE 

[.As  the  others  laugh.]  No;  pale  and  thin. 
But  let  me  tell  you :  When.  I  reached  Paris,  it 
was  only  to  find  that  I  could  do  nothing.  The 
army  had  been  disbanded,  just  a  few  hundreds 
of  his  old  soldiers  were  still  remaining,  and 
were  allowed  to  go  to  Elba  with  him.  I  got  taken 
on  one  of  the  ships  as  a  sort  of  a  sailor — 

helper 

MAMZEI/LE 

[Still  under  her  breath.]     What  did  I  say? 

PHILIPPE 

But  to  be  near  my  emperor!  To  help  him! 
To  watch  him  study  and  plan  and  think !  Soon 
after  we  reached  Elba,  I  got  taken  on  in  the 
emperor's  household.  I  did  many  things  to  help. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  127 

CHICON 
Tell  me,  was  he  very  lonely  ?    Always  sad  ? 

PHILIPPE 

Often,  very.  But  he  never  gave  up  hope  of 
saving  France.  And  soon  his  mother  came  to 
stay  with  him. 

Louis 

[Awestruck.']  Was  she  a  regular  old  lady  ? 
A  king's  mother  ? 

PHILIPPE 

Very  good  and  kind.  She  too  never  gave  up 
hope  of  saving  France. 

MAKIE 

Oh,  do  tell  us  all  about  it ! 

PHILIPPE 

So  much !  Napoleon  was  always  meeting 
with  his  generals,  his  faithful  friends.  They 
were  always  planning.  Then,  one  day  in  Feb- 
ruary, a  young  man  came,  I  heard  his  name, 
Monsieur  Fleury  de  Chabouillon.  He  came  by 
way  of  Italy,  and  brought  Napoleon  news  of  the 


128  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

discontent  in  France — of  the  terrible  state  of 
the  army.  From  that  day  on  the  emperor  was 
never  the  same. 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
He  felt  his  country's  need. 

PHILIPPE 

And  his  mother  felt  it  too.  My  friend  heard 
her  say:  "Go,  my  son,  and  may  God  protect 
you,  as  He  has  so  many  times  protected  you. 
You  cannot  remain  here."  [He  pauses.']  You 
all  know  the  rest. 

CHICON 

[With  intense  excitement.]  He  saw  the 
mother  of  Bonaparte !  And  you  came  back  with 
him? 

PHILIPPE 

[Proudly.]  Did  you  think  I  would  desert 
him  ? 

MARIE 
[Eagerly.']     What  happened  then  ? 

PHILIPPE 

We  put  to  sea — left  Elba  without  knowing 
exactly  where  we  were  going.  But  I  was  always 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  129 

with  him,  from  the  moment  we  left  the  island. 
When  we  sighted  Cannes,  reached  Dauphine, 
met  the  old  soldiers  of  the  famous  Fifth — from 
the  moment  we  reached  Grenoble  and  the 
Gap,  when  we  arrived  at  Sisteron,  where  every 
soldier  and  officer  in  the  army  bowed  before  him, 
through  the  days  when  we  entered  Fontaine- 
bleau,  to  the  morning  of  March  twentieth,  when 
at  dawn  we  reached  Paris  and  the  Tuileries. 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
The  Tuileries ! 

FATHER  KOCH 
My  son  in  the  march  to  Paris ! 

CHICON 

But  why  are  you  here  now,  my  Philippe,  with 
all  France  still  uneasy — the  fate  of  the  empire 
depending  upon  Bonaparte's  next  move  ? 

PHILIPPE 

[Suddenly  buries  his  head  in  sorrow;  then 
speaks  slowly. ]  Alas!  Do  not  ask  me  that.  I 
could  go  no  further ;  I  was  wounded. 


130  TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 

MOTHER  KOCH 

[Embracing  him  excitedly.^  Wounded?  My 
Philippe — 

PHILIPPE 

Yes;  but  nothing  serious — at  Nimes.  You 
have  heard  about  Nimes  ? 

MARIE 
No  details,  Philippe. 

PHILIPPE 

You  heard  the  Due  d'Angouleme  rebelled  ? 
[They  shake  their  heads  in  ignorance.^  On  the 
twenty-ninth  of  March  he  carried  the  Pont  St. 
Esprit ;  on  the  thirtieth  he  reached  Montelimar, 
and  on  April  second  he  forced  the  bridge  over 
the  Drome. 

CHICON 
And  you  were  defending  it  ? 

PHILIPPE 

Alas !  that  was  where  I  was  wounded.  Only 
a  small  saber  cut,  but  enough  to  make  my  captain 
see  that  I  was  too  young  and  unfit  for  service. 
I  was  ordered  home — and  rest. 

[He  buries  his  head  again. 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY  131 

M'SIEU  ROTHSCHILD 
Alas  that  1  am  too  old ! 

CHICON 
And  I  too  crooked  ! 

PHILIPPE 

[Still  sobbing.']  And  I  had  to  leave  when  he 
needed  me  most  My  Bonaparte ! 

ALL 

[Raising  their  glasses.~\     Bonaparte  ! 

MOTHEE  KOCH 

[Hugging  PHILIPPE  again.~\  But,  my  dar- 
ling, you  have  done  nobly;  you  have  given  all 
your  strength. 

MARIE 

[Thoughtfully.^  And  you  have  been  saved — 
to  us. 

PHILIPPE 

|  As  if  struclc  by  a  sudden  thought.~\  I  never 
thought  of  that. 

[As  MARIE  caresses  him  and  MOTHER 
KOCH  bends  over  him  tenderly, 
CHICON  murmurs:  "  And  he  helped  to 
save  France." 


132 


TO  SAVE  HIS  COUNTRY 


FATHER  KOCH 

[Raising  his  wine-glass,  and  speaking  in  rev- 
erent tone.']  "  And  the  Angel  of  Death  passed 
over  the  houses  of  the  children  of  Israel." 


CURTAIN 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

CHARACTERS 

JANET  MAGNUS     "I  bosom  friends,   each  about 
SOPHIE  SWARTZ    j    fourteen  years  old. 
MRS.  MAGNUS,  Janet's  mother. 
MRS.  SWARTZ,  Sophie's  mother. 
MR.  MAGNUS,  Janet's  father. 
MRS.  LIVINGSTON,  Janet's  friend. 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

THE  TIME. — About  three  o'clock  of  an  after- 
noon, a  pleasant  day  in  April. 

THE  PLACE. — A  very  shabby  living-  dining- 
room,  in  back  of  Mr.  Magnus's  greengrocer 
shop  in  Whitechapel,  London. 

The  room  is  filled  with  the  usual  appurtenances 
of  a  shabby  living-  dining-room;  on  a  table, 
to  one  side,  is  a  bowl  filled  with  unpeeled 
potatoes,  a  knife,  and  a  loaf  of  bread.  To 
rear  of  room  is  an  old  cabinet,  or  bureau, 
the  bottom  drawer  of  which  is  fitted  with  a 
key  that  locks  it. 

DISCOVERED  AT  RISE  OF  CURTAIK- 
Janet  and  Sophie  stitching  industriously 
at  little  blue  gingham  aprons  for  orphans. 
A  few  of  the  finished  aprons  lie  to  one  side. 

SOPHIE 

[As  she  stitches  a  buttonhole.~\    Wherever  did 
you  get  the  idea  ? 


136  AMBITION   IN  WHITECHAPEL 

JANET 

L  didn't;  Miss  Bessie  did.     See,  she  knows 
how  terrible  I  felt  about 


[Stops,  unable  to  proceed.- 

SOPHIE 
[  Whispering.  ]     — not  getting  confirmed  ? 

JANET 

[Nodding  her  head  "  yes."']  Please  hand  me 
a  button. 

SOPHIE 

[W7io  is  having  a  bad  time  threading  her 
needle.~\  I — I  guessed — Janey — 

JANET 

[Avoiding  the  subject.]  You're  awful  good 
to  help  me.  I'd  never  get  finished  if  it  wasn't 
for  you ! 

SOPHIE 

[Needle  poised  in  air.]  O  Janey,  if  we  can 
only  make  enough —  [Air  of  revelation.]  You 
know  I  just  dream  buttonholes! 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  137 

JANET 

And  I  buttons — whole  armies  of  them.  Last 
night  a  soldier  with  a  button-head  tried  to  stab 
my  eyes  out.  Mamma  said  I  hollered  out  loud 
to  save  me. 

SOPHIE 
[ Whispering  again.]    Sure  she  doesn't  know  ? 

JANET 

S — s — sh  !    And  won't,  if  I  can  help  it. 

SOPHIE 
But  however  do  you  hide  them  ? 

JANET 

[Running  to  the  old  cabinet  and  unlocking  the 
bottom  drawer;  she  then  pulls  a  little  apron  out 
of  it  and  holds  it  up.']  See — here.  I've  got  'em 
tucked  way  back.  Mamma  keeps  hers  and  papa's 
very  best  things  in  here — their  holiday  clothes, 
and  only  opens  it  before  they  go  to  temple. 

SOPHIE 

But  suppose  she'd  find  out.  Would  you  feel 
very  bad  ? 


138  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

JANET 

[Closing  the  drawer,  locking  it,  and  coming 
back.~\  Would  I?  Why,  you  don't  know  how 
sad  my  mamma  feels  about  my  not  having  a 
dress.  L  heard  her  crying  to  papa  the  other 

day 

SOPHIE 

[With  an  air  of  conviction.^  Then  I  think 
it's  your  duty  to  tell  her ! 

JANET 

[Excitedly.^  But  listen,  Sophy,  if  I  can't 
make  enough  buttonholes,  and  don't  earn  enough 
money,  I  can't  buy  that  dress,  and  I  can't  pos- 
sibly get  confirmed  without  a  dress.  So  don't 
you  think  mamma'd  feel  worse  to  know  I  was 
trying  and  couldn't,  succeed,  than  if  I  hadn't 
tried  at  all  ? 

SOPHIE 

[Slowly.l  No;  I  think  she'd  be  proud.  My 
mamma  would,  if  I  cared  so  much  as  you  do  to 
be  confirmed  that  you  work  so  hard,  days  and 
nights,  and  everything,  just  to  earn  a  dress. 

JANET 

That's  just  it.  I  love  studying  about  it  so, 
and  am  so  anxious  to  really  be  confirmed,  that 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  139 

she'd  feel  worse'n  ever  if  I  didn't  earn  enough 
to  buy  my  dress  even  after  working  so  hard. 

SOPHIE 

[Convinced.]  Well,  you  can  count  on  me. 
I'll  never  breathe  it — even  if  I'm  tortured.  I'm 
just  praying  Mrs.  Livingston  will  want  millions 
of  aprons ! 

JANET 

So  am  I.  Soon's  we  finish  this  one  we'll  go 
over  for  some  more.  See,  she's  to  pay  me  to-day 
for  what  I've  done,  but  I've  just  got  to  be  home 
before  five. 

SOPHIE 
Suppose  your  mamma  comes  in  ? 

JANET 

She  won't.  She  always  stays  in  the  store  till 
five;  but  I've  got  to  get  potatoes  peeled  and 
coffee  on  before  then. 

SOPHIE 

[Anxiously,^  Think  maybe  we'd  better  peel 
potatoes  now  ? 


140  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

JANET 

Gracious,  Sophy,  we  can't.  I'm  sure  Mrs. 
Livingston  told  Miss  Bess  I'm  to  be  there  by 
four.  She  goes  out  driving  then.  And,  O 
Sophy,  she  does  live  in  such  a  gorgeous-us  house  ! 

SOPHIE 

[Excitedly.]  If  they  only  let  me  in.  I've 
been  living  for  the  minute  when  the  man  with 
the  white  wig  opens  the  parlor  doors  ! 

JANET 

[Air  of  pride.]  Two  white  men  with  two 
white  wigs  and  four  white  silk  legs ! 

SOPHIE 
[Thunderstruck.']     Four  white  silk  legs! 

JANET 

Yes,  indeed !  And  last  time  Mrs.  Livingston 
was  pouring  tea  out  of  a  gold  tea-pot ! 

SOPHIE 

[More  stunned  than  ever.]  A  gold  tea-pot! 
And  she  lets  you  come  in  the  front  door  ? 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  141 

JANET 

Yes,  indeed,  she  wants  me  to.  But  it's  so  hard 
to  believe  they're  all  Jews,  like  us. 

SOPHIE 

You  think  the  men  with  the  white  wigs  are 
too  ? 

JANET 

[Uncertainly.^  1  don't  know.  They  may 
just  be  good  friends;  but  her  visitors  all  are, 
I  think.  Last  time  a  lady  with  funny  gold 
eye-glasses  that  she  held  up  in  her  hand  kept 
staring  at  me  as  she  said,  "  And  so  the  little 
dear  comes  all  the  way  from  Whitechapel." 

SOPHIE 
Whitechapel  ? 

JANET 

Yes,  just  as  if  it  was  Africa.  And  then 
another  one  said,  "  You  know,  Ellen,  I've  always 
wanted  to  go  down  to  that  New  Holloway  Street 
Temple ;  we  must  some  day." 

SOPHIE 
[Disgustedly.']     Just  as  if  it  was  a  Zoo! 


142  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

JANET 

[As  she  looks  around  the  shabby  room  in  a 
puzzled  way.~\  It's  so  hard  to  understand  they're 
on  the  same  earth  we  are.  Don't  you  wonder 
why  some  people  have  velvet  carpets  and  other 
people  bare  floors  ? 

SOPHIE 

[Also  puzzled.]  Or  why  some  people  have 
ten  dresses  when  you  have  to  work  so  hard  for 
one? 


[Folding  up  three  little  aprons.]  But  to  be 
confirmed!  Think  of  it,  Sophie!  [Calculat- 
ing.^ If  I  can  only  do  five  aprons  a  day  and  get 
ten  pence  apiece,  in  ten  days  more  I'll  have  my 
dress  ! 

SOPHIE 

[Jumping  up  excitedly.]  Let's  hurry  right 
over  for  the  money.  I'll  wrap  'em  up  while  you 
get  the  hats. 

[She  wraps  up  the  finished  aprons  in 
brown  paper,  while  JANET  puts  the 
unfinished  ones  in  bottom  cabinet 
drawer,  locks  it  carefully,  puts  key 
inside  her  shirtwaist,  and  snatches  up 
two  little  round  hats.  ~\ 


143 


JANET 

\_As  she  peers  out  side-door  entrance,  while 

Sophie  is  hastily  gathering  up  every  trace  of 

their  work.'}     Come — coast's  clear — let's  hurry. 

[They  hasten  out.     In  a  few  moments, 

MRS.  MAGNUS,  as  she  wipes  her  hands 

on  her  large  gingham  apron,  pushes 

open  the  door  leading  from  the  shop. 

She  is  followed  by  MRS.  SWARTZ,  who 

wears   bonnet   and   shawl   and   looks 

about  her  eagerly.} 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Sure,  an'  I  can  sit  down  a  minute ;  come  right 
in.  Sophy  and  Janey  've  been  here  an  hour  or 
so,  quiet  as  two  mice.  Wonder  what  they're  up 
to? 

MRS.   SWARTZ 

Ach !    They  aren't  here  at  all. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Looking  around,  calling,  peering  into  other 
room.}  Janey,  Janey,  don't  you  hear  mamma? 

MRS.   SWARTZ 
And  my  Sophy ;  maybe  they  gone  out  to  play  ? 


144  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Not  my  Janey,  never — unless  perhaps  she 
took  your  girl  home  a  piece;  but  she's  got  so 
much  to  do. 

[  Spies  the  bowl  of  unpeeled  potatoes,  and 
dears  her  throat  expressively,  as  she 
pushes  them  a  bit  out  of  sight. 

MRS.  SWARTZ 

[Seating  herself  comfortably  in  the  rocker.] 
Nun,  your  little  girl  is  very  good.  My  Sophy 
would  carry  on  much  worse  if  she  could  not  be 
confirmed. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[ Also  seating  herself  wearily,  and  wiping  a 
surreptitious  tear  with  the  corner  of  her  apron.] 
My  little  lamb,  we've  had  an  awful  year — never 
sure  of  the  roof  over  our  heads. 

MRS.  SWARTZ 

Schrecklich !  I'm  glad  my  Jake  went  to 
America.  He  sends  me  money  regularly,  and 
in  the  summer  we  go  out  too. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

I  guess  we  must  do  something  too.  White- 
chapel  ain't  any  more  Whitechapel.  What  with 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  145 

grog  shops  selling  prawns,  and  vegetable  carts 
huckstering  fruit,  how's  a  man  to  earn  an  honest 
living  ? 

MRS.  SWARTZ 

[Sympathetically. ]       Ja,    ja !    and   so   many 

mouths 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Still  wiping  her  eyes.~\  Yes,  little  Simon 
up  at  the  baby  farm.  He  took  the  money  that 
was  meant  for  Janey's  dress. 

MRS.   SWARTZ 

[Sighing.]  If  I  only  had  it — but  hardly 
enough  for  my  Sophy.  And  such  a  liddle  plain 
one.  But  don't  you  mind.  Your  Janey's  got 
all  the  best  of  the  teaching.  My  Sophy  says  she 
has  the  most  brains  in  the  class. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

What  worries  me  is  she's  awful  quiet  about 
something — always  hurry,  hurry,  hurry  to  get 
through  with  her  work. 

MRS.   SWARTZ 
You  think  maybe  she's  got  more  mind  on  that 

dress  than  you  know  about? 
10 


146  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Ah  no,  that's  not  my  girl.  Once  she  gives  a 
thing  up,  an  angel  couldn't  make  her  think  of  it 
again.  It's  somethin'  else,  and  I'm  that  wor- 
ried, I  am. 

MRS.   SWARTZ 

[Rising  hurriedly.^  Maybe  she  got  my  Sophy 
in  it,  now.  Why  do  you  think  they  stay  out  so 
long? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Don't  you  worry.  Janey's  just  took  her  a 
piece  home. 

MRS.  SWARTZ 

[Worried  as  she  hastens  to  the  door.^  Your 
Janet's  your  Janet,  and  my  Sophy's  my  Sophy. 
And  when  you've  got  only  one  little  lamb,  it's 
worse  than  if  something  happens  to  the  apple 
of  your  eye ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Kindly  as  she  sees  her  to  the  door.']  You'll 
find  'em  down  Paddington  way,  I'm  sure.  [Calls 
after  ~her.~\  An'  if  you  do,  you'll  be  a-sendin'  of 
my  Janey  right  home  ? 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  147 

MRS.   SWAKTZ 

[Voice  from  a  distance.]  Ja,  ja;  of  course. 
[As  soon  as  she  has  gone,  MRS.  MAGNUS 
hurries  over  to  the  dish  of  unpeeled 
potatoes,  and  begins  to  scrape  them, 
glancing  anxiously  at  the  clock  every 
few  minutes.  In  a  short  time  JANET 
pushes  the  side-door  open  stealthily. 
She  does  not  see  her  mother,  so  steps 
quietly  inside,  her  hand  behind  her 
back. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Pausing,  potato  knife  in  air.]  Well,  there, 
Janey.  Come  in  and  shut  the  door. 

JANET 

{Dragging  in  slowly,  and  holding  the  package 
behind  her  back  in  the  hope  that  her  mother  will 
not  notice  it.]  O,  mamma — 

MRS.   MAGNUS 
Where  you  been,  Janey? 

JANET 
Just  down  the  street  a  bit. 


148  AMBITION   IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
And  what  you  holding  behind  your  back  ? 

JANET 

[Bringing  out  the  package.]  Something  I'm 
—keeping — for  Sophy. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Struck  by  the  insincerity  of  her  tone.] 
Janet  Magnus,  don't  you  story  to  your  mother. 
Hand  me  that  package. 

JANET 

I  Clinging  to  it  stubbornly.  ]     It's  Sophy's. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Funny  Sophy  can't  keep  her  own  package. 
You  just  left  her? 

JANET 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Decidedly.]  Now,  Janet,  this's  got  to  stop. 
You're  not  tellin'  mamma  the  truth.  That  isn't 
Sophy's  package,  you  hain't  just  left  Sophy,  and 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  149 

what's  more,  you  didn't  do  your  tasks  this  after- 
noon— 

'[Pauses  as  she  points  to  the  rest  of  the 
unpeeled  potatoes. 


back  from — 

[Pauses,  unable  to  proceed. 

MRS.   MAGNUS 

[Drops  the  potato  knife,  crosses,  and  shakes 
JANET'S  shoulder.']  From  where,  Janet  Mag- 
nus, from  where  ? 

JANET 

[Sullenly. ~\     From  taking  Sophy  home. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Tf  Sophy  went  right  home,  why  didn't  she 
take  her  own  package?  Janet,  give  me  that 
package  this  very  minute ! 

[JANET  clutches  it  tightly,  but  does  not 
move. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
Did  you  hear  me,  Janet  ?    Give  me  that — 


150  AMBITION  IN  WH1TECHAPEL 

JANET 

[On  the  point  of  breaking  down.~\  O — O, 
mamma,  don't  make  me ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

\_Angrily.~\  I'll  not  have  you  tellin'  me  stories 
and  hidin'  things — maybe  wrong  things  from 
mamma,  Janet;  give  me  that — 

[Just  as  JANET  is  on  the  point  of  yielding 
it  to  her,  MB.  MAGNUS,  a  ruddy-faced 
greengrocer,  also  with  large  gingham 
apron,  comes  bursting  in  the  door.  He 
is  tugging  at  his  apron,  in  the  effort  to 
get  it  off. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

Well,  wife — and  Janey;  your  papa's  got  the 
big  chance. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Noting  the  excitement  in  his  manner,  breaks 
off  with  JANET,  who  drops  left  rear,  package  still 
clutched  tightly  in  hands  behind  her  back.'] 
Whatever  you  mean,  Sol  ? 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[So  excited  he  can-  scarcely  speak  plainly. .] 
Maybe  I  get  to  go  in  on  a  big  shop,  up  to  Totten- 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  151 

ham  Court  way.  Max  Spiegel  just  in  here.  Max 
says  his  boss  is  lookin'  for  a  partner,  nice  gentle- 
man partner,  run  his  shop,  and  do  the  buy  in' 
for  him  when  he  goes  way.  Got  to  take  his  wife 
to  Wales,  wife  sick.  Needs  somebody  what 
knows  prawns,  prawns  and  green  goods.  Now, 
you  know  me  and  prawns ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[With  an  excited  air  of  pride.~\  Yes,  indeed, 
no  better  prawn  man  in  the  whole  world,  says  I 
to  Mrs.  Swarte  to-day. 

JANET 

[Also  excited.]  O  papa,  then  we  move  up 
Tottenham  Court  way,  and  you  make  lots  of 
money? 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[Kindly. ]  Maybe,  yes,  perhaps;  but  don't 
count  your  chickens  afore  they're  out  of  the  egg. 
Maybe  when  I  get  there,  the  boss  has  already 
six  partners. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Anxiously.]    You  go  right  off  ? 


152  AMBITION   IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MR.  MAGNUS 

Sure,  Sadie,  it  ain't  the  lame  horse  what 
reaches  the  post  first.  And  in  my  very  best 
clothes,  say  I— 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
'Course,  I'll  get  them  for  you. 

[Starts  for  the  cabinet. 

JANET 

[Intensely  excited.~\  They  aren't  in  there, 
mamma. 

MRS.   MAGNUS 

[Stops  j  thunderstruck. ]  They  ain't — since 
when?  Haven't  I  always  kept  your  father's 
Sabbath  clothes  here — never  touch  'em  except 
finest  holidays  and  days  like — 

JANET 

O,  mamma  dear,  I'm  just  sure  you  moved  'em ; 
don't  you  remember  ? 

MR.  MAGNUS 

Let  your  ma  alone,  Janey,  she  knows  where 
everything  is. 

[He  is  busy  taking  things  out   of  his 
trousers  pockets. 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  153 

JANET 

[Almost  frenzied  as  she  sees  her  mother  make 
for  the  bottom  drawer. .]  I  tell  yon — they  aren't 
there.  I  moved  them  ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Pausing  aghast.]  You  moved  them!  You 
moved  papa's  holiday  clothes.  Why,  Janey,  how 

dared 

JANET 

[Beginning  to  tremble  and  half -sob.]  Not — 
not  exactly.  I  mean 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[Sternly. ]     What's  all  this  about,  Janey? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Well,  it's  jnst  good  you  ask  her,  Sol.  Not  a 
word  can  T  get  out  of  her. 

JANET 

[Now  sobbing  unrestrainedly.]  O — O — 
mamma — 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

I  mean  it,  I  never  would  'a  told  your  father, 
you  know  that;  but  it's  just  too  much.  Half 
your  work  you  don't  do 


154  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[More  sternly.']     She  don't,  don't  she? 

JANET 
O — O — mamma,  only  to-day — 


MR.  MAGNUS 

[Still  sternly.]     What  else  ? 

MRS.   MAGNUS 
Stories  to  her  mamma. 

MR.  MAGNUS 
Tells  stories! 

Mus.  MAGNUS 

Well,  you  ask  her  about  that  package  behind 
her  back. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

Come  here,  Janey.  [She  obeys.]  Now  give 
papa  that  package.  [She  hands  it  over.]  But 
first  you  tell  him  what's  in  it. 

JANET 

[Sobbing  now  so  she  can  scarcely  speak.] 
I—I  can't 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  155 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Who  has  been  trying  the  cabinet  drawer. ,] 
Locked !  T  declare.  Janey,  have  you  got  the 
key? 

ME.  MAGNUS 
Janey,  where  is  that  key  ? 

JANET 

[Fishing  it  out  from  the  inside  of  her  shirt- 
waist.~\  Here. 

[Is  unable  to  go  on. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[Beginning  to  open  the  package  as  MRS. 
MAGNUS  unlocks  the  drawer.]  Now,  Janey,  you 
tell  papa —  -  [JANET,  seeing  she  is  about  to  be 
discovered,  breaks  down  utterly,  and  rushes  from 
the  room.  MR.  MAGNUS  pulls  an  apron  out  of 
the  package  and  holds  it  up.~\  Aprons  ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Pulling  several  out  of  the  drawer  and  holding 
them  up  also.']  Aprons!  [Both,  too  astounded 
to  speak,  can  only  stare  at  each  other.  After  a 
fewmoments  MRS.  MAGNUS  recovers  her  breath.] 
Whatever  are  they  for  ? 


156  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MB.  MAGNUS 
How  should  I  know  ? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
[Whispering.]       Do    you    think    she    could 

ME.  MAGNUS 

[In  a  tone  of  horror,  and  also  whispering.] 
—taken  them  ? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
O,  no — no — not  nay  Janey,  not  my  Janey. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[As  he  takes  a  step  towards  the  door.]  She'll 
have  to  tell  me. 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

[A  charmingly  dressed  young  woman  stands 
in  door  of  shop  which  MR.  MAGNUS  has  left 
open.]  May!  come  in? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

You  are ? 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  157 

MRS.   LIVINGSTON 

Mrs.  Livingston.  No,  you  do  not  know  me ; 
hut  I've  heard  so  much  of  von.  I  waited  quite 
a  while  in  the  shop,  and  no  one  came. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

Beg  pardon,  madam.  Was  you  a-wantin' 
something  ? 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 
f  Graciously. ]     Only  your  daughter. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
[Thunderstruck."]    My  little  Janey  ? 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

Your  little  Janey.  May  I  speak  to  her  a  few 
moments  ? 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[Suspiciously  and  forgetting  his  politeness.^ 
What  for? 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

Ask  the  lady  to  sit  down,  Sol. 

[Dusts  off  a  chair  with  her  apron. 


158  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MRS.   LIVINGSTON 

[Charmingly.]  Now,  don't  make  me  tell  you, 
Pa.pa  Magnus.  Little  Janet  and  I  have  been 
having  such  a  secret ! 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Alarmed.]  A  secret!  With  a  stranger,  from 
her  ma  ?  Won't  you  tell  us,  Mrs.  Livingston  ? 

MRS.   LIVINGSTON 
\Coyly.]     But  I  promised — 


MRS.   MAGNUS 
A  secret  from  her  ma — 

[Breaks  down  and  begins  to  cry. 

MR.  MAGNUS 

You  see  how  she  takes  it,  Mrs.  Livingston  ? 
Me  and  my  wife  just  been  having  a  bit  of  a 
scene  with  Janey — 

MRS.   LIVINGSTON 

O,  dear,  I  only  hope  it  wasn't —  (),  no,  it 
couldn't  have  been  about  me  and —  [seeing  'the 
aprons  scattered  around  the  ftoor\  about  me  and 
the  aprons. 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  159 

MK.  AND  MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Amazed.]     You  and  the  aprons  ! 

MRS.   LIVINGSTON 

[Smiling.]  Yes,  that's  the  secret.  You  see 
your  little  girl  and  I  are  joint  members  in  a 
secret  society.  Object:  confirmation  dress. 

MR.  AND  MRS.  MAGNUS 
Confirmation  dress ! 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

Yes.  Your  dear  little  girl  would  not  allow  me 
to  give  her  one.  Her  teacher  and  my  friend, 
Miss  Bess,  told  me  that  she  was  unable  to  be  con- 
firmed because  she  lacked  a  dress. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 
[Head  turned  away.]    Yes — we  couldn't — 


MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

[Quickly.']     I  understand — and  that's  why  I 
was  so  happy  to  help  her  work  for  it. 

MR.  MAGNUS 
[His  voice  husky.]     Work  for  it ! 


160  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

MKS.  MAGNUS 
[Softly.]     My  Janey— 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

Yes,  the  little  dear !  Stitching  her  fingers  off 
making  buttonholes  on  aprons  for  the  orphans. 
Her  last  lot  was  to  have  been  handed  in  this 
week,  but  I  wanted  to  pay  her  for  what  she  had 
already  done. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Still  clutching  an  apron.~\  Aprons  for  the 
orphans ! 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

Unfortunately  I  had  to  be  out  when  she  came 
to-day.  I  told  the  maid  to  ask  her  to  wait,  but 
she  said  she  hadn't  time;  merely  left  the  aprons 
and  took  some  new  ones  home.  That's  why  I 
came  right  over  to  pay  her.  Now,  may  I  see  her 
for  a  moment  ? 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[Still  a  bit  confused.]  Why — of  course. 
[Calls.]  Janet,  Janet. 

[She  doesn't  answer,  so  he  goes  in  to 
fetch,  her. 


AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL  161 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

I'm  so  sorry,  Mrs.  Magnus,  if  all  this  has 
caused  you  any  anxiety. 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Twisting  her  apron  excitedly.']  If  she'd  only 
'a  told  her  ma. 

[MR.  MAGNUS  enters,  dragging  the  still 
weeping  Janet. 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 
Why,  Janet  dear — 

JANET 

[Timidly. ,]  Yes'm — I  couldn't  wait — I  had 
to  come  home  and  fix  potatoes — 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

[Hurrying  over  and  hugging  her.]  Why, 
Janet  dear,  I  didn't  come  to  scold  you,  merely 
to  pay— 

MR.  MAGNUS 

[A  Iso  petting  her  clumsily.]     But  why  didn't 
you  tell  your  pa  ? 
11 


162  AMBITION  IN  WHITECHAPEL 

JANET 

{Looking  up  for  the  first  time  and  seeing  that 
he  isn't  angry.]  O — papa — 

MRS.  MAGNUS 

[Also  crossing  and  patting  her  shoulder.'] 
And  your  mamma,  Janey — why  didn't  you  tell 
your  ma  ? 

JANET 

[A  smile  breaking  through  her  tears.']  O, 
mamma,  I  just  wanted  to  earn  it  all  alone. 

MRS.  LIVINGSTON 

[As  she  pets  her.]  And  you  have  earned  it, 
dearie — all  alone. 

JANET 

[Ecstatically,  as  if  she  saw  it  before  her.]  My 
confirmation  dress — all  alone! 

[They    cluster    around    her    in    loving 
sympathy. 

CURTAIN 


BECAUSE   HE   LOVED 
DAVID   SO! 


BECAUSE    HE   LOVED 
DAVID   SO! 

CHARACTERS 

JOSEPH  GOLDSTEIN,  owner  of  a  clothing  shop. 
ABRAHAM,  his  thirteen-year  old  son. 
ISAAC,  his  seven-year  old  son. 
HENRY  JACOBS 
CHARLIE  STEINEB 

ARTHUR  COHN 

children  attending  the  Sun- 
HARRY  FRANK 

day  school. 
SADIE  MYERS 

CLAUDIE  ELSON 
JANIE  GARSON 


BECAUSE   HE   LOVED 
DAVID    SO! 

TIME. — The  present;  a  Sunday  afternoon  in 
June. 

PLACE. — A  narrow  alley  outside  of  Goldstein's 
clothing  shop.  A  small  town  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

DISCOVERED  AT  RISE  OF  CURTAIN.- 
ABIE  GOLDSTEIN  sitting  disconsolate  on  the 
steps  of  the  clothing  shop.  Head  sunk  in 
hands,  he  is  idly  watching  little  IKEY  play- 
ing with  an  old  cart-wheel.  A  Sunday  still- 
ness prevails  everywhere,  and  the  bare 
fronts  of  houses  are  not  conducive  to  happi- 
ness in  little  ABIE.  The  alley  is  narrow 
and  meager,  and  from  the  humble  frontage 
of  the  second-hand  clothing  shop  one  may 
easily  judge  that  MR.  GOLDSTEIN  is  engaged 
in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle  with  existence. 


166  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

Aw,  Ikey,  forget  your  old  cart-wheel.    I  want 
to  tell  you  something. 

IKEY 

[Having  a  grand  time  with  the  wheel.']     But 
I — want — to  play — circus. 

ABIE 

[Tone  of  awe.~\     Didn't  I  tell  you  the  cop'd 
get  you — Sunday ! 

IKEY 
What's  Sunday  ? 

ABIE 

Day  you  got  to  keep  quiet  and  think  about 
your  sins. 

IKEY 

[Still  puzzled.']    What's  a  sins  ? 

ABIE 

[Cunningly. ,]     You  just  hand  me  that  cart- 
wheel and — and  I'll  tell  you  a  whopper. 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  167 

IKEY 

[Crossing  and  rendering  the  wheel  up  obe- 
diently; ABIE  keeps  fast  hold  of  it  so  that  he  may 
be  sure  of  his  audience.]  What's  a  whopper? 

ABIE 

[With  bated  breath.']  What  I  did  in  Sunday 
school. 

IKEY 

[Also  with  lowered  breath.~\  In  Sunday 
school  ? 

ABIE 

[Shaking  him.']  S — s — sh  !  You  don't  need 
to  tell  the  neighborhood.  Ikey,  you  think  you'd 
understand  if  I'd  tell  you  ? 

IKEY 

•  [Sitting  in  loving  adoration  of  big  brother, 
but  still  with  a  covetous  eye  on  the  cart-wheel.'] 
I— I'll  try. 

ABIE 
And  you'd  never  tell  ? 

IKEY 

Honest  and  true — black  and  blue — lay  me 
down  and 


168  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

O,  it  wasn't  so  fierce.  Most  important  prin- 
cipal thing  is,  yon  should  not  tell  papa ! 

I  KEY 

Never  tell  any  one  in  the  world,  Abie,  only 
jnst  yon  please  give  me  my  hoop. 

ABIE 

Aw,  here's  your  old  hoop.  [!KEY  hugs  it 
feverishly  and  sits  on  the  steps,  all  attention.] 
Now  don't  you  budge  while  I  look  if  anybody's 
listening.  [Makes  a  great  business  of  peering 
in  the  corners  of  the  alley.]  Coast's  all  clear. 
Guess  pa's  sleepin'. 

IKEY 

[Not  to  be  diverted.]     What's  a  sins  ? 

ABIE 

I  don't  exactly  know,  'less  it's  nature.  You 
know,  Ikey,  T  don't  understand  about  this  sin. 

IKEY 

[ A  s  if  very  anxious  to  help  ABIE  understand.  ] 
I  tell  you,  Abie.  What's  your  sins  ? 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  169 

ABIE 

[Holding  1  KEY'S  hand,  and  trying  to  clear 
up  things  to  his  own  mind.~\  I  don't  care — I 
don't  understand.  It  all  came  out  from  inside 
my  brain.  I  didn't  want  to  do  it — I  didn't  plan 
it.  But  nobody  understands,  at  least  no  grown 
folks. 

IKEY 

[Anxious  to  sympathize.']  What's  grown 
folks? 

ABIE 

O,  everybody — fathers  and  mothers,  and 
auntvS — and — and  Sunday  school  teachers. 

IKEY 

[Tone  of  awe.~]    Sunday  school  teachers ! 

ABIE 

[Still  clutching  IKEY'S  hand.~\  Now,  Ikey, 
I  want  you  to  listen ;  and  remember  that  not  one 
other  soul  in  this  whole  world  knows  anything 
about  this — only  you. 

IKEY 
[Devotedly.']    Yes,  Abie,  only  me! 


170  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

No,  sirree;  they  just  think  I  was  crazy — or — 
or  bad — or  that  all  I  did  was  to  just  purposely 
imagine — 

IKEY 

[Perplexed,  but  ABIE  disregards  his  confu- 
sion.~\  Just  imagine — 

ABIE 

And,  Ikey,  every  time  we  had  a  Bible  lesson,  I 
liked  it,  I  did.  Do  you  think  I  ever  told  any 
one  what  a  bully  good  time  I  was  having  in 
Sunday  school  ?  No,  sir ;  they  wouldn't  believe 
me. 

IKEY 

[Wonderingly.~\  Bully  time  in  Sunday 
school ?  , 

ABIE 

Yes,  sir,  I  always  wanted  to  go,  I  did.  I  was 
just  glad  on  Saturday,  because  it  was  the  day 
before  Sunday.  Why,  I  even  went  to  bed  early 
the  night  before,  so's  Sunday  school  would  come 
quicker.  Of  course,  I  never  told  anybody — 
[Suddenly  suspicious.']  You'll  never  tell  papa  ? 

IKEY 

[Solemnly. ~\     I'll  never  tell  papa. 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  171 

ABIE 

[Waxing  enthusiastic  in  reminiscence. ]  It 
was  great !  They  were  all  my  chums,  I  tell  you  ! 
David  was  my  best  chum ;  and  Jonathan — I  liked 
him  too!  [Whispering.]  I  never  told  anybody 
how  keen  I  was  on  David  ! 

TKEY 
[Still  perplexed.]     David — who? 

ABIE 

O,  just  David.  He  didn't  have  any  last  name : 
he  was  the  only  one  in  the  world. 

IKEY 
Did  you  know  David  ? 

ABIE 

Of  course,  I  did.  That  was  all  the  trouble. 
I  knew  him  as  well  as  I  know  you.  Used  to  sit 
and  talk  to  him ;  an'  he  always  told  me  all  his 
sorrows — all  the  terrible  things  Saul  did  to  him. 
T  sympathized  with  David  many  a  time,  T  did. 

IKEY 

[Intensely  interested.]  You  saw  him — your- 
self? 


172  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

Of  course,  I  did.  That  was  another  part  of  the 
sin.  Miss  Gerty,  she  said  I  couldn't  see  him, 
and  I  used  to  stand  up  and  argue  with  her.  Told 
her  he  was  just  as  plain  to  me  as  the  nose  on  my 
face — told  her  I  saw  David  often,  and  how  fine 
and  handsome  and  everything  he  was — told  her 
I'd  seen  Jonathan  often  too,  and  old  Saul.  Why, 
I  even  knew  exactly  how  long  Saul's  beard  was. 
And  David — well,  David  and  I  used  to  talk 
everything  over  fine. 

IKEY 

[Remembering.^     Was  that  your  sins  ? 

ABIE 

Wait !  That  was  only  the  first  part.  The  most 
awful  sin — 'least  Miss  Gerty  made  me  feel  it 
was  awful — was  when  I  had  to  tell  about  David 
and  Goliath.  She  shouldn't  'ave  asked  me  about 
it,  'cause  she  knew  what  a  good  friend  of  mine 
he  was — and  how  I'd  just  seen  it  all— 

IKEY 
What  did  you  seen  ? 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  173 

ABIE 

Look  here  what  I  saw.  I'll  show  you  just  as  I 
showed  her.  Only  she  kept  saying  I  hadn't  seen 
it — I'd  just  imagined  it — and  oughtn't  /  know, 
whether  I'd  seen  it  or  not  ?  [As  he  draws  him- 
self up  to  his  full  height  proudly.~\  I  showed 
Miss  Gerty  exactly  what  happened  !  Showed  'em 
how  David  had  gone  out,  and  picked  up  the 
stones,  nice,  smooth  little  round  ones,  like  we  got 
the  time  we  went  on  the  picnic — remember  ? 

IKEY 

IN  adding.']     Uh— huh. 

ABIE 

[As  he  begins  to  throw  his  arms  about.]  And 
how  he  fixed  'em  in  his  little  sling;  and  how  he 
aimed  right  for  the  middle  of  Goliath's  head ; 
and  how,  whoop !  sizz  !  bing !  he  hit  the  giant  in 
the  forehead,  and  zookums — over  he  falls  dead ! 
I  told  'em  exactly  how  it  all  happened. 

IKEY 

[Shouting  as  ABIE  is  still  waving  his  arms.] 
You  saw  all  that,  Abie,  you  saw  all  that? 


174  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

Sure,  T  saw  it  all !  Didn't  Dave  and  .1  talk  it 
all  over  often,  how  he  was  going  to  find  the  mid- 
dle of  Goliath's  forehead  ?  'cause  right  in  the 
middle  would  be  bound  to  kill  him  ?  And  how 
anxious  David  was  to  find  the  right  spot,  because 
if  he  killed  Goliath,  all  would  be  up  with  the 
Philistines  ?  And  I  tell  you  David  gave  him  his 
— just  like  this — zippity — bing — zippeee — 

[He  waves  his  arms  and  aims  as  if  to 
throw  a  pebble,  when  his  father  steps 
quietly  out  upon  the  door-step. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 
Abie,  what  are  you  doing  ? 

ABIE 

[Subsiding  at  once  and  becoming  sullen.] 
Aw — nothin'. 

ME.  GOLDSTEIN 

[Trying  to  be  stern.]  Don't  you  know  it's 
Sunday  ?  You  want  to  get  papa  in  trouble  with 
the  neighbors  ? 

ABIE 
Aw,  they  hate  us  anyway.    We're  Jews. 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  175 

MB.  GOLDSTEIN 

[Ignoring  this.']  You  tell  papa  what  you  were 
doing. 

ABIE 
You  wouldn't  understand. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

[More  patiently. ]  You  say  the  same  thing 
about  Sunday  school.  Now  you  tell  papa,  and 
see  if  he  don't  understand. 

ABIE 

[Shaking  his  head  sullenly. ]  You're  grown 
folks. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

[More  sternly;  he  has  a  package  and  his  hat  in 
one  hand,  and  he  puts  on  his  hat  and  turns  as  if 
to  go.]  If  you  don't  tell  papa  this  minute,  I  go 
right  over  to  see  Miss  Gerty. 

ABIE 

[In  a  panic.']     No,  oh,  no.     You  don't  go  to 

Miss  Gerty 

IKEY 
[Pleadingly. ,~\     Abie 


176  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

\_In  a  panic  that  IKEY  will  tell,  smothers  his 
mouth  with  his  hand.]  Look  here,  papa.  I 
oan't  go  back  to  Sunday  school,  it's — it's  im- 
possible. 

Mn.  GOLDSTEIN 

Unless  you  tell  papa  what  you  did,  you  got  to 
go  back. 

ABIE 

I  was  just  bad,  I  was.  You  wouldn't  under- 
stand— nobody  does.  {Fiercely. ~\  Think  I  can 
go  back  to  a  place  where  they  insult  my  friends  ? 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

Listen,  Abraham,  papa  does  not  understand 
what  you  are  talking  about.  Every  day  for  a 
week  I  have  asked  you  the  same  thing,  every  day 
you  give  me  the  same  answer.  You  want  to 
worry  papa,  who  was  so  proud  of  his  big  boy? 
You  always  loved  Sunday  school — now  you  don't 
tell  papa  why  you  don't  go  back.  I  cannot  let 
Ikey  play  with  you —  {Begins  to  draw  him 
away.]  Come,  Ikey,  we  go  to  Miss  Gerty. 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  177 

IKEY 

[Beginning  to  cry. ]  I  want  my  Abie — I  want 
my  Abie — 

[ABIE  still  sullen  as  he  hands  IKEY  over. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

Yon  won't  tell  papa  ? 

ABIE 

[Gulping  liard.]  I — I  can't.  You  wouldn't 
understand. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

What  you  mean — insult  your  friends,  Harry, 
or  Charlie,  or —  —  ? 

ABIE 

Aw,  no — my  dearest  friends  in  the  whole 
world.  You  don't  know  'em,  nobody  does,  no- 
body but  me.  They  only  talk  to  me. 

MR.  GOLDSTEIN 

[As  he  draws  IKEY  away.~\  We  go  to  Miss 
Gerty — unless —  —  ? 

{Last  urgent  look  at  ABIE. 

12 


178  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

[Head  sunk  in  hands,  by  this  time  almost  at 
the  point  of  tears.^     Nobody  understands — 

[Mil.  GOLDSTEIN  drags  IKEY  away,  still 
rebellious  and  protesting,  and  ABIE  is 
left  alone  on  the  steps.  He  emits  a 
peculiar  noise,  a  mixture  between  a 
sob  and  a  groan.  A  little  group  of 
boys  and  girls  appear  around  the 
corner  of  the  alley ;  they  spy  ABIE,  but 
at  first  hesitate  to  come  forward. 
Finally  CHARLIE  makes  the  first  move, 
the  others  come  sauntering  after,  as 
carelessly  as  possible.  ABIE  at  first 
takes  no  notice  of  them,  then  evinces 
a  mild  interest. 

CHARLIE  STEINER 
n'lo,  there — 

ABIE 
H'lo. 

HARRY  FRANK 
H'lo  there,  Abie.    We  missed  yon  to-day. 

ABIE 

[Suddenly  suspicious.^     Somebody  send  .you 
to  get,  me  ? 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  179 

CHARLIE 

Say,  what  do  you  think  we  are,  two-year  olds  ? 
We  just  came  to  visit  you. 

SADIE  MYERS 
[Softly.]    Aren't  you  glad  to  see  us ? 

ABIK 

Aw,  yes,  of  course.  Just  thought  you  wanted 
to  rag  me  about — about  Sunday  school. 

HENRY  JACOBS 

[Unable  to  repress  1ii$  curiosity.]  Well- 
why  didn't  you  come  back  ? 

ABIE 

[Immediately  on  the  defensive.]  Look  here,  if 
you  come  here  to  talk  about  Sunday  school— 

CHARLIE 

[Quickly  as  he  punches  HENRY.]  Sure  not; 
we  never  thought  of  it  We  just  come  here  to 
see  you.  Say,  here's  a  box  of  candy  we  brought 
you. 


180  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

ABIE 

[Rising  eagerly.  ]  Say  now,  where'd  you  get 
that  ?  Honest,  is  it  for  me  ? 

JANIE  GARSON 

Of  course,  we  brought,  it  to  you — from  the 
closing  exercises.  You  deserved  it. 

ABIE 

[Suddenly  putting  his  hand  back  in  his 
pocket;  he  had  had  it  extended  for  the  candy. ] 
Aw,  no,  I  can't  take  it. 

CLAUDIE  ELSON 

[Eagerly,  as  she  thrusts  it  into  his  hand.] 
Now  it's  yours,  Abie,  don't  be  foolish !  We  all 
got  some,  for  going  all  year — 

CHARLIE 

[Interrupting. ]  You're  dreaming;  it's  just 
localise  the  Board's  always  good  to  us. 

SADIE  MYERS 

Of  course,  they  are.  Aren't  we  going  to  have 
the  grandest  picniq,  up  at  Cove  Hollow — and,  O 
Abie,  you're  to  come  along! 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  181 

ABIE 

Say  now,  how  do  you  think  I  can  come  along  ? 
I  quit  Sunday  school.  What  do  you  think  I  am  ? 

JAN  IE 

Well,  Abie,  we're  each  allowed  to  invite  some- 
body extra,  and  I  guess  you  can't,  say  no,  if  we  all 
invite  you. 

ABIE 

[Sheepishly.]  You're  fool  in' !  You  haven't 
any  reason  to  want  me. 

ARTHUR  COHN 

[Who  has  been  squirming  around  on  one  foot.] 
I  say,  Abie,  aren't  you  goin'  to  ask  us  to  sit 
down  ?  I  thought  you  might  want  us  to  play. 
[Looking  around.]  My,  but  you  got  a  grand 
alley.  I  wish  1  lived  in  an  alley. 

ABIE 

[With  pride  of  place.]  Well,  an  alley  has 
some  advantages ;  but  keep  your  eye  peeled  for 
the  cop.  Come  along  inside  and  help  me  out 
with  some  chairs. 

f  The  boys  exit  into  the  house,  arms  linked 
and  the  best  of  friends.  As  soon  as 
they  are  inside — 


182  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

JAN  IE 

[Whispering  to  the  girls.~\  Aren't  you  glad 
we  came  ?  I  thought  it  was  awful  for  Abie  to 
be  left  out  of  everything. 

CLAUDIE 

If  we  could  only  make  him  want  to  come  back 
to  Sunday  school— 

SADIE 

[With  an  air  of  determination.]  And  that's 
just  what  we're  going  to  do ! 

[The  boys  come  out  with  a  few  broken 
chairs,  old  soap  boxes,  etc.  All  settle 
themselves  for  a  cozy  meeting. 

ABIE 

[As  amiably  as  possible.^  So  long's  you  got 
that  candy  here,  you  might's  well  open  it ;  pass  it 
around. 

JANIE 

T  guess  not.  We've  all  got  boxes  at  home. 
You  keep  this  yourself. 

ABIE 

[Opening  it  and  passing  it  around.~\  Guess 
again.  Think  I  want  my  pa  to  come  home  and 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  183 

find  it?     He'd  have  another  reason  for  wantin' 
me  to  go  back  to  Sunday  school. 

HKM;Y 
Well,  it  isn't  such  a  hardship. 

A 13  IK 

[Sullen  again.']  Thought  you  wasn't  gona 
talk  about  it  ? 

HARRY 

[Quickly  changing  the  subject.]  Say,  Abie, 
you  think  the  cop  don't  like  us  just  because  he 
knows  we're  Jewish  ? 

A  i?  IK 

I  don't  know.  Seems  to  me  everybody  round 
here  don't  like  us.  Maybe  it's  because  we're 
Jews,  and  maybe  it's  just  because  we're  poor. 

CLAUDIE 

Why,  Abie,  nobody  ever  hates  anybody  be- 
cause they're  poor.  It  isn't  their  fault,  is  it  ? 

ABIE 

[Cunningly.]  Think  people  puzzle  out  what's 
other  people's  fault  ? 


184  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED. DAVID  SO 

SADIE 

Well,  if  they'd  only  reason  out  what  the  Jews 
have  done  for  them,  and  how  much  we've  got  to 
be  prond  of,  they  wouldn't  hate  us  at  all. 

ABIE 

Aw,  now,  what've  we  got  to  be  proud  of — our 
noses  ? 

HENRY 

[Getting  excited.]  You  know's  well  as  we 
do.  You  remember  we're  the  very  oldest  reli- 
gion in  the  world.  Say,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  the 
Jews,  there  never  would  have  been  any  other 
religion  here  at  all. 

ARTHUR 

Say,  and  you  know  what  grand  stories  we  have 
about  the  holidays.  You  know  some  of  those 
fine  old  people  back  in  the  Bible — 

ABIE 

[Still  questionin  gly.~\  Well,  why  aren't 
people  nicer  to  us  then  ? 

CHARLIE 

Because  they  haven't  any  better  sense.  Don't 
they  ought  to  know  if  the  Jews  hadn't  held  on 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  185 


so  strong  to  their  religion,  there  wouldn't  be  any 
religion  for  them  at  all? 


ABIE 

[Sarcastically.]  You  don't  say  so?  Discover 
that  all  for  yourself? 

HARRY 

[Hotly. ~\  I  should  say  we're  just  about  the 
fathers  of  the  whole  world.  We  came  first,  and 
everybody  else  was  glad  to  come  snooping  after. 

CLAUDIB 

Yes,  and  we  went  through  the  most  awful  tor- 
tures too.  Joan  of  Arc  wasn't  in  it. 

ARTHUR 

Ah,  now,  Abie,  you  remember  how  they  put 
irons  in  their  arms  and  feet  and  even  hung  'em 
up  by  the  hair — just  because  they  refused  to  give 
up  their  religion. 

ABIE 

[Still  critically.']  Too  bad  we  couldn't  have 
lived  then — known  some  of  those  old  sports  all 
right. 


186  BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

JANIE 

Why,  you've  got  a  chance,  all  of  us  have, 
every  day,  to  do  something  for  our  religion. 
You  don't  even  want  to  be  a  Jew ! 

ABIE 

[A  bit  shamefaced.]  Yes,  I  do.  I  just  don't 
want  to  go  to  Sunday  school. 

CLAUDIE 
[Softly.]    Not  even  to  tell  about  your  David  ? 

ABIE 
[Angrily.]     You  forget  my  David  ! 

CHARLIE 

[Reminiscently.]  I  guess  that  was  some 
fight  between  David  and  Goliath.  I  never 
heard  anybody  tell  it  like  you,  Abie.  Why,  I 
could  just  see  that  fine  young  fellow  pasting  the 
old  heathen  right  between  the  eyeballs — some 
fight  all  right! 

JANIE 

[Softly.]  But  I  love  Jonathan.  I  just  wish 
I  could  meet  Jonathan.  Wasn't  he  the  sweetest 
thing,  all  he  did  to  save  David — and  he  no  rela- 
tion at  all  ? 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO  187 

HARRY 

They've  none  of  them  got  anything  on  Judas 
Maccabeus,  that  old  warrior.  Weren't  they 
right  to  call  him  the  Hammer  ?  Why,  I  wor- 
ship him  more  than — more  than  Julius  Caesar ! 

SADIK 

[Reflectively.]  You  can  have  your  Judases 
and  Jonathans  and  Solomons — and  even  your 
Samuels  and  Moseses  and  Elijahs — but  as  for 
me,  you  just  give  me  David.  I'd  give  anything 
if  once3  in  my  whole  life  1  could  see  David! 

ALL 

[Breaking  in  together.]  You've  seen  him, 
Abie  ;  tell  us  about  him — do ! 

ABIE 

[Incredulous.]  You  really  want  me  to  tell 
yon  about  him  '. 

ALL 
Sure  we  do ;  that's  what  we  came  for. 

ABIE 
[Still     incredulous.]      But     Miss     Gerty — 


188         BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO 

JANIE 

She  was  proud  of  you,  she  was;  only,  of 
course,  she  had  to  seem  to  be  angry,  but  in  her 
heart  of  hearts  she  was  proud  ! 

ABIE 

Proud  ?    She  sent  me  home. 

HARRY 

What  did  you  expect,  when  you  got  up  and 
argued  with  her— that  you'd  seen  David  and  all. 

ABIE 
But  T  had  seen  David. 

CLAUDIE 

Not  really,  Abie,  you  know — not  really. 

ABIE 
[Weakening. ]     Maybe  not  exactly. 

SADIE 

Well,  I  know  Miss  Gerty  was  proud,  because 
she  felt  terrible  you  didn't  come  to-day,  and  she 
sent  you  this  box  of  candy. 


BECAUSE  HE  LOVED  DAVID  SO         189 

ABIE 

[Astonished.]    She  sent  me — 

JANIE 

Yes,  Abie,  and  she  just  had  to  call  you  down 
because  yon  were  getting  so  excited,  and  because 
you  showed  us  how  you  loved  David  so. 

ABIE 

[  Eagerly.]  And  you  think  1  could  come  buck 
even  if  I  loved  David  so? 

A  T.I. 

[Crowding  around  him  in  eager  welcome.} 
Sure,  just  because  you  loved  David  so ! 

[As  they  say  these  last  words,  MR.  GOLD- 
STEIN, Miss  GEBTY,  and  little  I  KEY 
overhear  and  peer  around  the  corner. 
MR.  GOLDSTEIN  makes  a  step  forward, 
but  Miss  GERTY,  seeing  that  the  recal- 
citrant lamb  has  already  been  wel- 
comed to  the  fold,  draws  MR.  GOLD- 
STEIN back  by  the  coat  sleeve  and  mur- 
murs, "  Because  he  loved  David  so." 

CURTAIN 


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